PLUS: Trivium, Fall Out Boy, Frankie Boyle, Snow
Transcription
PLUS: Trivium, Fall Out Boy, Frankie Boyle, Snow
The University of Southampton’s Finest Entertainment Publication Issue 5 16th January PLUS: Trivium, Fall Out Boy, Frankie Boyle, Snow Patrol, Dubstep, Films of 2008, and the worst lyrics ever..... Editorial Editorial Happy New Year readers! With that unseasonal burst of enthusiasm, welcome back to the University of Southampton’s finest entertainment publication. Trying to put this rag together in the depressing post-xmas period of exams, cold, illness, broken boilers and general doom and gloom wasn’t easy, but we’ve somehow managed to bring together a typically brilliant collection of music, film and general entertainment stuff for your perusal this month. Look immediately to your right for the latest collection of try-hard claptrap that constitutes our regular That’s Entertainment column, written by our mystery correspondent. Following that, cast your disgusted gaze down a little towards Nick’s far superior TV Peanuts section, with a succinct summary of the festive season’s televisual offerings. Those who can face reading on will find Frankie Boyle dominating the comedy section, features on the Southampton dubstep scene and the worst lyrics like, ever, reviews of the latest releases from The Killers and Fall Out Boy along with many other popular musical collectives, interviews with the likes of Trivium (metal!) and Kids In Glass Houses, an extensive buffet of gig reviews offering morsels of Slayer, Justice and Feeder, before an epic treatise on 2008’s best films. Eventually, at some point, it finishes. Good luck with exams. We’ll be back very soon. The Edge Team Editors: Pete Benwell and Hannah Calcutt Record Editor: Tom Shepherd Live Editor: Rik Sharma Features Editor: Holly Hooper Film Editor: Dean Read That’s Entertainment..... Assorted nonsense from the world of film and music A Hampshire radio station has had its website hacked into by Islamic extremists because it played a song by Cliff Richard, it is claimed. Astrid Haigh-Smith, owner of Radio Basingstoke, claims the station’s normal site was replaced with a message warning ‘the West’ that they should not insult Islam. If that wasn’t strange enough, Haigh-Smith believes that the station’s playing of Cliff Richard could be to blame. Speaking to nme.com, she said “We’ve played the Cliff Richard version of ‘Hallelujah’ (him too?!) but would never dream of running down any religions”. Whilst the eerily youthful-looking octogenarian is known as a Jesus enthusiast, there are surely many far less benign targets within the music industry for elements of Islamic extremism. As a parting shot, the hackers left a message stating that “whoever thinks of insulting Islam will suffer the same fate. We are the nightmare of Western websites in the cyber war”. Watch out, Radio 2! Two British directors have been nominated for a prize at the 61st annual Directors’ Guild Awards, to be held later this month in L.A. Christopher Nolan has been shortlisted for his work on The Dark Knight, whilst one-time Trainspotting director Danny Boyle is nominated for Slumdog Millionaire. Competing against the likes of directorial heavyweight Ron Howard, the winning director is considered likely to go on to success at the Oscars, with only six winners of the DGA’s failing to pick up an Academy Award since their birth in 1948. The Dark Knight, which has been pretty much impossible to escape for the last six months, is tipped as a potential winner of a Best Picture award when the Hugh Jackman-hosted Oscars come around later this year. Enthusiastic Swedish types Alphabeat have been dropped by their record label, Charisma, an offshoot of troubled major EMI. Despite scoring three top twenty hits, spending a combined year in the U.K. singles char t and their album going gold, the label decided not to renew the band’s contract when it ended in December. Whether this particular decision was made for artistic or financial reasons is not clear, but, as the credit crunch bites, more reasonably popular major label acts are likely to get the chop. TV Peanuts Most channels tend to pull out the big guns at Christmas thanks to the guaranteed audiences of full, sleepy families looking for something to fill their dull, dead eyes. With the introduction of interactive TV functions and on-demand programming, the ability of channels to pull in audiences for an evening’s worth of entertainment has been diminished. Viewers can now pick and choose what to watch and when to watch, effectively creating their own Christmas schedules. So, what did pull in the punters on Christmas Day? BBC1 scored a clean sweep, providing the top 6 most watched shows of the day. Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death attracted 14.25 million viewers, proving the duo’s sojourn to the silver screen has not dulled their appeal. Sadly, despite the sparkling wit and slapstick gags, the plot of this particular half-hour special was somewhat lacklustre compared to previous offerings. Their usually tight plots were unwound somewhat and the lack of Shaun the sheep left a bitter taste in my mouth. Similarly, Doctor Who, the second most watched programme of the day (11.71mil) promised much but delivered surprisingly little. How many times is the Doctor going to point a thingy at an invading army and have them all conveniently vapourise simultaneously? Smug arse, go back to Hamlet. Editor in Chief: Adam Parker With: Jack White, James Dawson, Mike Havis, Ella Smith, Gareth Brading, Dan Morgan, Tim Lemon, Conor McGlone, Jazmine Sherman, Richard Yates, Emmeline Curtis, Sophie Etheridge, Rachel Gregory, Sarah Colson, Joseph White, Jonny Seal, Hayley Taulbut, Chris Hooton, Dan Sumner, Roger McGough, Will Roszyck, Chloe Musson, Viveka Owen, Jack Harding and Stephen O’Shea. Contact us at theedge@soton.ac.uk Eastenders split up its episode into two parts (11.47 and 9.89mil) to elongate the dreariness of their annual drama-fest. The happier the residents of Walford Square are at the beginning of the episode, the worse you know they’re going to feel at the end. The Royle Family (9.98mil) and Strictly Come Dancing (8.57mil) rounded out the top 6. ITV 1 provided scant competition with Coronation Street (7.36mil) Emmerdale (4.76mil) and Dancing on Ice (5.2mil) while BBC 2 mopped up the scraps from the table with an episode of Dad’s Army (2.7mil). If you need more proof of BBC’s dominance, both BBC 1 and ITV1 showed the Queen’s speech and the BBC pulled in over 6 million viewers while ITV1 managed just 1.7 million. Channel 4’s alternative Christmas message from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad didn’t even make the top 20 watched programmes (in fact no Channel 4 programme did). So what did we learn kids? Christmas films aren’t as popular as soaps and TV specials, ITV still has a long way to go to catch up with BBC’s dominant market position and Channel 4 needs to try harder. Much harder. By Nick Brown Comedy Frankie Boyle - Live The self proclaimed ‘blackest man in showbiz’ took his crude one-liners on the road for a sell out tour of some of Britain’s finest towns, please note the inherit sarcasm there. Also note that if you don’t like swearing or are easily offended then this is certainly not the man or article for you. For many the name Frankie Boyle will mean nothing but for those who spend too much time in front of the TV watching comedy panel shows, the man is a God. His regular slot on BBC show Mock the Week providing his dry wit and snazzy suits a platform from which he has built a large fan base. Frankie is near to the mark with his comedy and although some may say it goes too far, you must accept that this is the philos- ophy you buy into when watching a Frankie Boyle stand up. A series of snappy raw jokes fill the majority of the show including much ridicule of his native Scotland and constant references to topics such as rape, disability and paedophilia. I did say it was near to the mark. The rest of the show is filled with fresh banter, with the audience accepting much abuse. In these interludes you can see hints of the genius of the man. With some top rate put downs leaving some members of the audience embarrassed and the rest laughing along at their expense hoping they are not next to be picked upon. There is no doubting the comedy talent of the man, the majority of the audience are laughing along throughout the whole show. His timing is exceptional and its dealt through his surprisingly cheery nature. This keeps the audience in his hands making almost any jokes ac- ceptable. Boyle thrives on the sharp intakes of breath from his audience after yet another cutting joke. Often standing arms spread wide open with a cheeky grin, chuckling to himself, his evil laugh reverberating around the theatre. It is however easy to see how some don’t like it. It’s obvious to see that some may find the material uncomfortable as he really has pushed the barriers. It could also be said that the gig lacked in content. With Boyle producing a reel of jokes with very little substance provided, much like a Jimmy Carr show. Also many may find the overuse of swearing unnecessary. In particular his use of the word which must not be repeated, which is used a bit too much for my liking. Although this offensiveness is how he gets his laugh. My final quibble with the stand up is that I had heard much of it before. Many of his best jokes were ones taken straight from the many panel shows from which he has made his name. This made me wonder if it was worth the entrance fee, as I could have found some of this material anywhere on the internet. This said, if you like comedy then you will love Frankie Boyle. The shear talent of the man is evident in the question section of the show and this is worth the entrance fee alone. In this section he lets the audience ask questions and, on the spot, he has the audience reeling with laughter with his responses. This is perhaps evidence of his success on the comedy panel show format. I would personally like to see more substance to his set before he tours again but this should come with time. That said he may not be the finished article (but if you love the offensive nature and can stand the swearing,) he isn’t all that far off. By David Walsh Features Following the release of Trivium’s latest album ‘Shogun’ last autumn, Mike Havis travelled to London to meet the band’s lead guitarist Corey Beaulieu.... MH: What are the best and worst aspects of intense, fast and in your face and people just seem to react to that. recording a Trivium album? CB: I don’t really think there’s anything bad about recording an album. MH: No stress or pressure at all? CB: No not really, on the last record we pretty much just took our time with it. Y’know went at our own pace? It was very relaxed. Usually when you record it’s a lot of fun; just getting material, building the material up, adding bits and hearing it come together. So there’s no real bad thing about recording, usually it’s pretty smooth for us. MH: Was ‘The Crusade’ in any way a result of the pressure to follow up on the success of ‘Ascendancy’? CB: With that record we just wanted to do something completely different from ‘Ascendancy’; we didn’t want to make ‘Ascendancy Part Two’ or anything that sounded like it. So we were experimenting, kind of spreading our wings and showing people a different side to what we do. We didn’t want to be pigeonholed into doing what MH: Can you tell us a little bit about the writing process? CB: Usually a bunch of us, Matt (vocals), myself and Paolo (bass guitar) will write a lot of riffs or song ideas and record them. Then they’ll get passed around the band so we can give each other ideas. When we’ve got a good load of material, we’ll go into the rehearsal space and start jamming on it and everybody makes their contribution to help finish it. Throughout like a whole tour we’re coming up with ideas, so by the time we’re done touring and we’ve had a little break, we’ll have some ideas to start on for the next record. we did on the last record. We were breaking down the barriers of what we could do musically. That record was like a stepping stone that allowed us to make this record, which we feel really represents our sound really well. The Crusade was a building block to get here. At that point in time, doing that record and writing the songs that we did felt good and made everything exciting and fun. If we’d have done Ascendancy again we wouldn’t MH: What sort of a record were you looking have been to make when you started writing Shogun? that stoked. It would have just been CB: There was no specific idea. Songs just more of the really came out; we write the music first and that was naturally sounding the way it same and was. Then adding the vocals, bringing back we don’t want to the screaming, definitely gave it a different vibe. We just wanted to make the best do that every album we could make and really make it album. solid. MH: So what would be your desCB: It’s hard to choose a favourite song. But ert island playing live, I have a lot of fun with Kirisute disc? Gomen and Insurrection, they’re very MH: What’s your favourite Trivium song off of Shogun? What’s your favourite Trivium song overall? CB: That’s tough... Maybe like ‘Rust in Peace’? MH: Did you ever hear anything back from Iron Maiden about your cover of their song? Was it a fun change from the normal recording process? CB: That was kind of like a last minute thing. At first we declined doing it because we were in the writing/pre-production process and didn’t have the time to take off. But when we were recording the album, the label needed more songs because we were just gonna do the original eleven. So we started jamming on Iron Maiden, not even for Kerrang because we thought their deadline had gone. It was recorded in like a and power metal and all that. I pretty much craved any kind of metal and was trying to find new bands all the time. Guns N’ Roses started it all though. MH: How old were you when you started playing guitar? CB: 14. MH: Did you have lessons or were you self taught? CB: I took lessons for the first few years when I was still in high school. When I graduated and moved away I was just kind of teaching myself, using videos and so on. MH: Can you tell me a little bit about the personality of each band member? CB: Matt’s kind of a clean OCD freak, Travis is day so it was pretty quick and was right at as well. Paolo the end of everything. I never heard from just loves anyone in the actual band, but I know their his Triskets. manager (Rod Smallwood) dug it. They’re these little crackers, I MH What were the band that first got you don’t know if you into heavy music? have them over here but CB: Guns N’ Roses. They were the first band he’s addicted to them. No one is really where I was like “this is what I’ve been too kooky; everyone gets loud, everyone gets quiet. We all pretty much have the waiting to hear.” I’d never heard same personality. Matt and Paolo are anything like that before. very goofy today; I partied a lot last night I only heard whatever so I’m kind of mellow today... for now. It I’d hear around the just depends on the day what side of the house from like person you get. my parents or my sister MH: Where do you see Trivium in ten and they years time? didn’t like great stuff. CB: Wherever it is, just still doing what From there we’re doing and getting better, reaching it just sort new people. We’ll see where it goes. We of carried definitely want to be very successful, sell over; that band got me a lot of records and have lots of fans. So hopefully the longer we do it the more into others like Metallica people we’ll reach and more people will get into the band. We’ll have to wait and and Megasee ten years from now where we’re at. deth. Then It’s a work in progress but we definitely it branched plan on being around for a long time and off into like death metal to keep making records. So longevity is the key. Features Thou shalt love thy lyrics as thy pumping bass One Edge writer expresses his reverence for the lyrical poetry of song as he extols the virtues of the words behind the music. For me, lyrics are one of the most powerful and pertinent elements of popular music and yet it seems that they are sometimes criminally overlooked and underappreciated. I by no means object to a thumping beat and have occasionally been known to dabble in dubstep, a genre that is essentially defined by deep rumbling basslines. Despite this, no matter how much the lower frequencies pounding out of a subwoofer may make my heart feel as if it’s wobbling; it remains difficult to connect with the music on a personal level. Lyrics provide an insight into life experience – human experience, even if in the case of formulaic, factory line song writing this experience is somewhat diluted. For a man of no faith nor scripture, song lyrics have always been something within which I can find comfort. A Christian might stare at their WWJD wristband and contemplate carefully “What would Jesus do?” and perhaps take inspiration from a relevant bible verse (or even their favourite preacher’s podcast). Personally, it is in times of thought, trouble and reflection that I find myself trawling through my music library. It is not for advice that I turn to music, as taking guidance from often egotistical and occasionally drug-addled “rock stars” might be somewhat foolish, it is simply for complementary experience. It is the comforting knowledge that another has been there too, felt how you feel; that is enough. Regardless of the emotion, be it elation, anger, wistfulness or even desire, the feeling can be amplified or alleviated by the right lyric. Following a painful split, one person may take solace in the introspective and deeply personal poetry of Bob Dylan’s ‘break-up album’, Blood on the Tracks. The forlorn listener might find particular meaning in the plaintive You’re A Big Girl Now, in which Dylan laments: ‘I’m going out of my mind / With a pain that stops and starts / Like a corkscrew to my heart / Ever since we’ve been apart’. Dylan’s melancholic words are not too everyone’s taste or disposition and if drinking half a bottle of Sambuca and slurring along to Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive is more your style, then I shall not be one to judge. Powerful lyrics like the aforementioned are by no means stranded in the music of our parents’ generation. Like Leona Lewis you could find that you ‘keep bleed- ing, keep, keep, bleeding love’ or during a moment of despair or self-affirmation (depending on your personal religious beliefs), one could unify voices with Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon fame, in singing ‘Jesus don’t love me, no one ever carried my load.’ Lyrics are not conceived by accident and are often deeply resonant and carefully considered. Don’t let them pass you by. The next time you listen to a song, whether it is rehearing an old favourite or experiencing a piece of music for the first time, really try and listen to the words, you may hear something you truly relate to and feel a lot richer for it. Shakira- ‘Whenever Wherever’ Lucky that my breasts are small and humble /So you don’t confuse them with mountains I do often find myself worrying that my mammary glands might be mistaken for a natural elevation of the earth’s surface having considerable mass, generally steep sides, and a height greater than that of a hill. I get the feeling Madonna was too busy with some Guy to spend too much time on the words of that particular song. If you were a re-recordable CD, I’d replace your music with literally anything. Sorry Katie, but it’s true and I don’t think anyone needs an explanation as to why. Flo Rider- ‘Low’ So lucky oo me I was just like a clover Shorty was hot like a toaster Because sometimes telling a girl she looks nice just doesn’t do the job. By James Dawson For the love of lyrics The Killers- ‘Human’ I’m on my knees/Looking for the answer/ Are we human?/Or are we dancer? Pretentious or preposterous? Either way, it’s a no from me. Cam’ron- ‘Hey Ma’ Get in the Car/And don’t touch nothing, sit in the car/Let discuss Somethin’/Either we lovin’ or I’ll see you tomorrow Ah Cam’ron, he’s a keeper. Definitely one to bring home to the parents. 50 Cent (A.K.A ‘Fiddy’)- ‘21 questions’ I love you like a fat kid love cake. Classic. Madonna- ‘I love New York’ I don’t like cities but I like New York / Other places make me feel like a dork Black Eyed Peas- ‘My Humps’ What you goin’ do with all that junk/All that junk inside your trunk/I’ma get, get, get, get, you drunk/Get you love drunk off my hump/My hump (X8) my lovely little lumps/you love my lady lumps (Check it out) And later in that same song… I mix your milk wit my cocoa puff/Milky, milky cocoa /Mix your milk with my cocoa puff, milky, milky riiiiiiight The lyrics to this song are surely so bad that they are just fantastically great. Unless they are being sung along to by a parental figure. Kate Nash- ‘Mouthwash’ And I use mouthwash/Sometimes I floss/ I got a family/And I drink cups of tea Another insightful contribution from Miss Nash. Katie Melua- ‘If You Were a Sailboat’ If you were a cowboy, I would trail you/If you were a piece of wood, I’d nail you to the floor/If you were a sailboat, I would sail you to the shore Snap! - ‘Rhythm is a Dancer’ I’m as serious as cancer/When I say rhythm is a dancer Amazing, amazing, amazing. A prime example of the enjoyably terrible lyric. Oasis - ‘Champagne Supernova’ Slowly walking down the hall/Faster than a cannonball Does not compute. Des’ree- ‘Life’ I’m afraid of the dark/Especially when I’m in the park/When there’s no one else around/Oh I get the shivers I don’t wanna see a ghost/It’s the sight that I fear most/I’d rather have a piece of toast/Watch the evening news Life, oh life Oh life, oh life Life, oh life Oh life, oh life Des’ree’s lyrics are so bad That they make me really mad Sylar from Heroes is a cad I like orange juice Usher- ‘Love in the Club’ I’ll be like your medicine, you’ll take every dose of me It’s going down on aisle three, I’ll bag you like some groceries And of course... Have you ever made love to a thug in the club with his sights on 87 Jeans and a fresh pair of Nikes on On the couch, on the table, on the bar, or on the floor You can meet me in the bathroom yeah you know I’m tryna go I wanna make love in this club ‘ey (in this club ‘ey in this club ‘ey) Usher has clearly not spent much time in Jesters. Cynical comments and additional lyrics courtesy of Holly Hooper Heavens No, Hell Yeah! This collection of truly disgraceful samplings presents lyrical examples that are either so bad they’re hilariously good...or just so gosh darn appalling that they should be sent directly into the fiery charm of musical hell. Records Fall Out Boy - Folie À Deux By Tom Shepherd The hype machine can be treacherous, and albums don’t come much more hyped than Fall Out Boy’s 4th studio album Folie À Deux, meaning ‘a madness shared by two’ for those curious. This album has undergone the most elaborate internet rumours, election conspiracies, last minute release date delays, not to mention a huge roster of celebrity appearances. But let’s put all that to one side for a moment and try to focus on the album itself. ‘Infinity On High’ was always going to be a difficult album to follow, it demonstrated FOB had grown up from the pop punk roots from which they started, and it would seem that the band have matured even more since. This does mean however, that those still hoping for a revert back to rugged, punk sound of ‘Take This To Your Grave’, the band’s first studio album, will be dissapointed, but this was never really going to happen, let’s be honest. Nope, the punk aspect of FOB is definately no more, with the band making the final transition from pop punk, to simply pop. (Insert remark about how this happened a couple albums ago here.) What we are presented with from Folie À Deux however, is a lively pop album, sometimes bordering on the soulful, sometimes bordering on the funky. It’s interesting. It’s clever. It’s fun. On first listen, a lot of the tracks can indeed pass you by. But stick with it and you shall indeed be rewarded. Folie À Deux isn’t as instantaneously catchy as previous offerings from the band; the hooks are far more obtuse, but once found are all the more rewarding. Take ‘Headfirst Slide into Coopestown on a Bad Bet’ , a spooky, low key affair, that before you know it has erupted into guitar driven, symphonetic chaos. For FOB, this isn’t just an album for the now, a footnote on their extensive repertoire of records, this one’s for the history books. There’s a far more epic sound to these songs than has existed previously for the band, a sense of unity amongst the entire album, an emo opera. Emo probably being an unfair term, the band having long severed their ties with any ‘emo’ representation; a sense of self awareness being exerted throughout the album, demonstrated with lyrics such as, ‘Nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy.’ As for the album’s composition, it seems that Pete Wentz may have taken a backseat with his intricate and overthought lyrics this time around. Good you may cry. But in fact these lyrics did seem to become embedded with the fundamentals of the FOB album, and it is a little sad to see them go. But it has opened the doorway for lead vocalist Mr. Patrick Stump to take the lead with the production of the album, and a mighty fine job he’s done too. Technically the album is flawless. It’s arguable that there’s an overreliance on Stump’s voice, but with his already impressive vocal talent only improving, it can be forgiven. As for guest vocals, an unusual synth addition by Lil’ Wayne in Tiffany Blews is topped only by a bizarre country western rendition from Pharell at the end of w.a.m.s, I kid you not. Also feature vocals from Gym Class Heroes’ Travis, Debbie Harry, Elvis Costello and Panic at the Disco’s Brendan, apparently. There is a sense of featuring celebs just to prove that they can, but heck, who wouldn’t. The band still havn’t quite cracked the formula to create the figurehead album that they’re striving for. But they are certainly getting close. It must be said that this album doesn’t feel as natural as previous FOB albums. The youthful, carefree and energetic songs have been replaced by a sound that sounds very much like it’s been sat down and thought about for a long time in a studio. In fairness the band are hardly youthful and carefree anymore, but the energy is still in abundance. Be it in the form of the pent up fury being expressed in ‘West Coast Smoker’ or the ecstacy of innocence in bouncy piano driven ’20 Dollar Nose Bleed’. To ignore it would be madness. 8/10 The All Good Funk Alliance The Raid Part Deux By Ella Smith I approached this album with some trepidation as Funk really isn't my thing. Having listened to all 18 tracks of the CD, I am certainly not a convert. The first track, 'Weakness of a Trade' is the first disappointment of many. It lacks a strong beat and the lyrics are far too fast and mumbled, making them impossible to enjoy. Despite this, the end saves the song; with improved clarity and more extensive instrumental progressions. The second song begins with a stronger beat, however, there was no noticeable end to the first song and beginning of the second. This is a common theme throughout the album, where songs merge together, without significant changes in beat or substance. Although, 'Neptune's Minty Trident', the second track, does have more to offer than the first, with a female chorus that blends successfully with the tone of the song. However, whilst the first track strengthened towards the end, the second declined; it loses pace and becomes increasingly repetitive, and frankly, dull. Rather blandly, a number of tracks are unaccompanied by lyrics. Whilst this is acceptable when the instrumental work is impressive and evocative, when it is uninspiring and repetitive this is unacceptable. For example, 'The Future is Now' combines a futuristic sound with nothing outside the expected, or of any substance. The climax is when you expect the word 'Ghostbusters' to chime in at any second. Despite this, there are one or two oc- casional flairs of originality or interest, for example, 'Drunk on Funk', if remixed at a faster speed would certainly make a good club track, as it combines stronger lyrics with dance beats. There are also moments where instrumental progressions are impressive; 'Super Hi-Fi Funks' intro has varied guitar riffs, although they fade out far too quickly. Likewise, 'Rock Da Spot' has impressive mixing in its opening sequence, but yet again, this fades too soon. Finally, 'Avance' is saved by the singing of 'Merinia and Vincent', which vastly improves the quality of the song. Overall, many of the songs are far too long, for example I feel that 'Get On Down' at four minutes and eight seconds, could easily be condensed into two min- utes. This would allow you to appreciate the song before you get annoyed with it. Generally speaking, this album does not appear to be a good example of funk, or dance/electronica. It is a mix up of rap, soul and occasionally, club with mild electronica. None of this follows a clear theme, yet all manages to sound the same: boring and uninspiring. I certainly was not encouraged to dance or 'get my freak on'. Some of the instrumental work is strong, as are some of the vocals, although, these are too infrequent and the only redeeming features on a sub-standard album. 2/10 Records Singles.. New Kids on the Block - The Block Coldplay - Life in Technicolour II By Conor McGlone By Gareth Brading In a follow-up to 2008’s chart-crunching singles “Viva La Vida” and “Violet Hill”, Coldplay have opted to release another song from their fourth album, but this time in a different style. “Life in Technicolor II”is an extended lyrical version of the original taken from the “Prospekt’s March” EP, including an instrumental bridge. Whilst much of it sounds identical to the old song, you should still appreciate the raw power and strong George Harrisonesque feel this song manages to deliver. If one real criticism can be levelled against it, the tune can feel slightly repetitive without much variety for during the four minutes. However, the strength of the composition lies in the sheer catchiness of the rhythm, which should leave you humming it for days. Guns and Roses Chinese Democracy 9/10 The wait has been long, eminent in the late eighties and early nineties; they were infamously accused of lip-syncing and of using backing singers in their live performances. Nevertheless this, their first album in fourteen years has been widely anticipated. Like processed cheese, this album is easy to package and to mass produce. Similarly this type of no-thrills cuisine is tasteless, soulless and leaves you feeling slightly nauseous. Feet firmly entrenched in the nineties; the sound is dreary, dull and deflated. Even the track produced by Timbaland, ‘Twisted,’ though by association, the best pick of a bad bunch, seems stuck in the past. The sleeve notes artwork is laughable and exposes the five as shameless posers. Congregating around a grand piano the group look as if perhaps, they are actually meant to possess musical talent. Sold as Few singles can have been as feverishly anticipated as the latest contribution from the masters of classic rock (or rather Axl Rose and some freelance axethrashers), and with such a frenzied build up it would take a real masterpiece to live up to expectations. Unfortunately, Chinese Democracy is not that masterpiece. Although the broodingly atmospheric intro pulses with promise, the main body of the track contains none of the sharp genius that the golden days of G’ N’ R’ produced. With a huge sound that seems to lean towards an angry version of Aerosmith-esque stadium rock, you can’t help but feel that the producers are over-compensating for what is expected of the band. The guitar solos are undeniably impressive, but the weakness of the vocals and the lack of any real direction in the track overshadow the positives by a lengthy margin. Maybe its time for G’ N’ R’ to lay down their sweaty laurels whilst they can still do so with their pride intact. 4/10 James Yorkston Tortoise Regrets Hare By Tim Lemon ‘Tortoise Regrets Hare’ starts off with a nice relaxing acoustic guitar, and then adds in a mix of violins, keyboards and bass. It is a pleasant acoustic ballad, which just bubbles along at a gentle pace for maybe just a bit too long. The song reminds me of the good olden days of sitting by the fire with family, just relaxing, and overall has an enjoyable folk song feeling to it. However, overall it lacks a bit of energy. 6/10 hear one of the greats do her own thing. ‘Close to You,’ one of the bonus tracks, is slightly catchy and shows some vocal delivery skill but still has th paltry sound. This album is a perfect example of polished, manufactured bubblegum pop. As a typical case it will probably go on to make a bundle of cash with not a care in the world for artistic integrity. Do not think this is a subjective rant, manufactured pop is a necessary evil in the music business but at least some do it well. It is impossible not to mention Take That’s great success in the reformed Boy Band business. Perhaps this parallel case do deserve their wide critical acclaim. Notwithstanding, if you like uninteresting music, weathered bass lines and are a twelve year old girl, ‘The Block’ could be right up your street. a poppy melody. Introspection is a pervasive theme for this album, and nowhere more so than in ‘Human’, the preview single for Day and Age. Track 3 is the eagerly anticipated ‘Spaceman’. With a catchy melody and strong chorus, it looks set to mimic here its success as a single in the US. Track 4 is a step in a totally different direction. ‘Joyride’ is a theme-park confusion of urgent drum tracks, sporadic guitar riffs and a slightly awkward saxophone solo. Possibly the strongest track on the album, ‘Dustland Fairytale’ is one of the Killers best ever tracks. With a desperate nostalgia reminiscent of the massive ‘When You Were Young’ it is melodically superb and, in places lyrically brilliant. Tracks 6 and 7 are something of a cross between the dark flippancy of ‘Joyride’ and the urgency of ‘Hot Fuss’. Although initially disappointing, ‘This is Your Life’, with it snatches of U2-esque pop-rock, deserves to be given a chance to grow on the listener. The same can’t be said of ‘I Can’t Stay’, which is a semi-acoustic let-down. Tracks 9 and 10 are a terrible way to close the album, being the weakest on it by some length. ‘The World We Live In’ is a weak pop track, its flippancy in a stark contrast to ‘Goodnight, Travel Well’, which sounds worryingly like a weak Pink Floyd tribute act making a mess of ‘Time’. Although let down by a few undeniably weak tracks, Day and Age is classic Killers. With flashes of the urgency of ‘Hot Fuss’ and the vastness of ‘Sam’s Town’, it would be a coldly hardened critic who couldn’t see the appeal of the Killer’s new album. But let’s hope they leave the saxophones to Supertramp in the future. The Killers - Day and Age By Dan Morgan By Dan Morgan the epitome of sophistication, the group resemble a mixture between the Rat Pack and the gangsters from Reservoir Dogs. Old indeed they are and with age surely comes wisdom. Strange then that their self written lyrics sound more like the crooning of sexobsessed adolescents than that of a group whose average age is 37. While the melodies are instantly forgettable and the harmonies boring, the lyrics are disturbingly one-track minded and immature. Tunes like ‘Sexify my Love’ say it all – ‘Take it fast, slow now do it like a pro slide down your waist and get low, low’. Heart-wrenching, no? It is truly challenging to find many positives to say about this album. It’s such a bland affair and few songs seem to really stand out. However, ‘Grown Man’ does have a slightly inventive Aretha Franklin sample that is perhaps worth a mention. However, I expect most people would rather The Killers are a band in transition. With each of their three albums we have seen a different side to the Las Vegas four piece. Debut album ‘Hot Fuss’ was a groundbreaking display of anthemic Brit rock, By Dan Morgan and in ‘Sam’s Town’ the band captured the dusty vastness of Midwest America. For Day and Age, Flowers and co.’s latest contribution, a distinct sense of faded glamour seems to flicker behind the synthesizers. Although sadly lacking in the kind of soaring anthems that previous albums have produced, Day and Age still delivers enough of what we have come to expect from the masters of synth-rock to assure us that the Killers still have a lot to give. ‘Losing Touch’, the opening song, quickly builds into a dark introspection, lifted by 3/10 7/10 Records Singles.. Kid Cudi - Day ‘N’ Night By Jazmin Sherman Kid Cudi's first single to gain mainstream attention has suddenly started to dominate the airwaves in both the US and the UK. It's a great combination of smooth vocals and tight beats, making it incredibly hard to resist. On top of mastering a sick beat, the lyrics themselves prove deeper than most would think as he raps about a lonely stoner looking to free his mind and forget the pain, giving the song just a little bit more edge than most techno songs. Kid Cudi, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, has recently been signed to Kanye West's record label and is already up for BBC's "Sound of 2009" award. Cudi is definitely one to watch out for as I think this track is just the beginning. 8/10 The Beat Poets - Staring Stars Down By Sophie Etheridge Being a fan of Beat Generation poetry, I was very much prepared to like this band. Unfortunately, The Beat Poets are not as revolutionary and interesting as their name-sakes, but rather have come out with a very conventional sound with their new single, ‘Staring Stars Down’. The Beat Poets sound a bit like U2 if you swap Bono for Liam Gallagher, which may not be an entirely bad thing if you’re into that kind of music, however, if you’re looking for something new and exciting then you’re barking up the wrong rock band. ‘Staring Stars Down’ is an OK song, it has a catchy guitar riff and some words you can sing along to. You won’t hate ‘Staring Stars Down’, but you won’t love it either. 5/10 The Streets - Heaven For the Weather By Rachel Gregory Mike Skinner delivers another absolute corker of a tune. As there’s not much more to come from The Streets, (having recently announced that he’s working on his last album,) he’s decided to leave us with a few tracks to remember. This one’s a lot more upbeat than most of his stuff and it sticks in your head just like all the others. It’s the kind of song that’s instantly memorable from the first listen. You’ll either download it straight away or annoy everyone else by singing that one repetitive line in the chorus for weeks, and then decide to buy it – but buy it you will. 7/10 Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy Is This The Sea? By Richard Yates The term 'singer-songwriter' has become an overused phrase synonymous with soppy James Blunt-a-likes and budding teenage MySpace warblers. So it helps to be reminded of genuinely talented musicians like Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy), who has been producing a prolific output of critically acclaimed under-the-radar country music for the past fifteen years. Don't let the 'country' tag alarm you – this is far closer to late Johnny Cash than 'Achy Breaky Heart.' Oldham dips into his extensive back catalogue for this live album, recorded in Edinburgh on a Spring 2006 tour of Scotland and Ireland. Accompanying him are the Edinburgh folk band Harem Scarem, who provide an elegant Celtic flavour to Oldham's songs, and freestyle drummer and percussionist Alex Neilson. Simply following Neilson's subtle drumming throughout this set is a journey in itself – no two bars are ever the same, and his constant improvisation and originality set him apart from many of his peers. Set opener 'Minor Place', taken from Oldham's classic 1999 album I See A Darkness, sets the tone for the rest of the night with it's gentle acoustic strumming, sparse percussion and tightly-woven backing harmonies from the female accompanists. Unlike the original recording, this live version sounds almost angelic due to the nature of the backing vocals, which perfectly augment Oldham's fragile voice. It's a great song and ensures that the evening starts off on the right note. The highlight of the 13-song set is the seven minute-long epic 'Cursed Sleep', which despite its length never outstays its welcome. It sways back and forth from quiet, brooding verses to grandiose choruses where the backing harmonies and strings take flight, perfectly complimenting Oldham's Kentuckian wail. The sensation it creates is almost one of seasickness; perhaps Is It The Sea? is indeed an appropriate title for this record. One of the best features of this performance is its ability to transport you to a far away place: if you close your eyes during the fiddle solo on the title track you can pic- ture yourself in a Lord of the Rings film. The crowd remain loyally silent during the songs - no lager-fuelled Oasis style singalongs here. In a way this reflects the aura surrounding Oldham's music: the audience is encouraged to simply sit back and soak it up, as if keenly paying attention in a music lesson. The crowd's silence adds to the intimate atmosphere of the set, interrupted only by wild bursts of applause between each song. Even Oldham seems overwhelmed towards the end: "Yeah, uh… just thanks so much for coming and being so… nice!", as if back in Kentucky the most polite audience response he can hope for is for the crowd to refrain from hurling rotten fruit at him. Is It The Sea? casts a new perspective on Oldham's music and is a cut above some of the lazy live releases from bands simply looking to bolster their piggy bank by knocking out inferior versions of studio tracks. The whole thing is beautifully recorded, and although a CD can never fully re-create the feeling of actually being there, this comes pretty darn close. sounding acoustic feel, and you can feel the emotion in them. They are broken up by the massive chorus of 'Please Don't Take These Photos From My Hands', which will have crowds singing along to it; another catchy song with big guitars. Snow Patrol sometimes face the danger of getting overly repetitive and dull with their songs; 'Crack the Shutters' is a good song, but sounds like many other songs they have done before. There are some moments on this album however, such as the handclapping intro to ‘The Golden Floor’, that breaks up the repetitiveness. 'The Planets That Bend Between Us' is another song that is a bit different to their usual music - it sounds a little melancholy at first, but is actually quite uplifting. Perhaps the band were feeling more cheerful that day. The album ends on a high note with the epic and experimental three-part finale, ‘The Lightening Strikes’. It is slightly darker and more dramatic than the rest of their album, with a collision of pianos and strings and choir-esque voices, which makes it interesting to listen to. Part 1 has an immense orchestral sound to it, with an ominous and stormy feeling that disaster is about to strike, and part 2 is equally atmospheric. Part 3 brings the disaster to a close and makes everything all good again - back to the soft rock tunes the band does so well. The album doesn’t contain one big ‘Chasing Cars’ like hit, but it is a safe follow up to it, with the band sticking to what they are good at – big emotions and big guitar crescendos. Gary Lightbody’s fascination with the world of love is at the centre of this album, and gives him a knack for writing love songs that capture exactly how you feel, while avoiding the clichés other songwriters do not. He also has a beautifully expressive voice that never lets the songs become overly sentimental, and gives them meaning that few singers could match. I’m not sure I agree that this is the best record they have ever done, but it is certainly a good album. 8/10 Snow Patrol A Hundred Million Suns By Emmeline Curtis Snow Patrol have had an amazing few years, platinum-selling albums, sold-out arena shows, and a song that has been voted the best of all time. A Hundred Million Suns is their fifth studio album, and according to Gary Lightbody, “musically, lyrically and sonically the best record we’ve made.” The album opens with ‘If There’s a Rocket Tie Me To It’, which starts with a sweet-sounding melody, slowly building up to a drum-pounding finish. It is similar to the first single to be taken from the album, ‘Take Back the City’, in that they both have catchy hooks and guitar riffs which get stuck in your head and would go down well with a stadium audience. The opening track is a good indicator of what the rest of the album is like, though it is nothing too adventurous. 'Lifeboats' and 'Set Down Your Glass' are both more simple and mellow songs than the rest of the album they have a sweet 8/10 Records Singles.. Renfro - Mathematics Clinic - Tomorrow By Sarah Colson By Joseph White Kicking off with a slightly out of tune thumping guitar, Tomorrow brings in interesting prospects often seen in this band’s weird and wonderful sound. But this is relayed by a droney vocal melody maintained through out which does about as much as you would expect from a stoned snail. It is devoid of their customary odd melodies and varying time signatures, and replaced with a lazy reverberating harmonica and a few discordant guitar strums. Given that this is Clinic’s thirteenth single to date, one may ponder the reasons for such a deflated momentum. All in all Tommorow remains a half-catchy, halfdecent and very much half-experimental opener, and I am only able to praise it in this way because of the re-mix that follows. DFA add a beautifully woven dark base moog sound, straight from the pit of a New York disco house dance floor. This...! finally gets you bopping along in spite of initial intent. There is no doubt that this single will probably be hailed as another Clinic classic as it does stay true to their plodding mournful sound and message, but it also represents a serious lack of effort. Now dispute it if you must, but the fact that Tomorrow precedes, and in many ways is saved by, a simple and invigorating electronic infusion, may indeed indicate that this band have a real need for fresh innovation. 3/10 Pint Shot Riot - Holes By Jonathon Seal The third single from Coventry fourpiece Pint Shot Riot is an enjoyable 3-minute ride through the fast-paced lives of these mood-lifting Midlanders. The instant hook of the introduction lays the basis for one of the catchiest poprock songs of 2008. Mixing the up front attitude of Hard Fi and fellow Midlanders The Enemy, and adding a huge splash of pop-punk catchiness, Holes is one of those songs that is instantly likeable and can easily have you singing its chorus under your breath, even when not realising (believe me I’ve done it). Catchy guitars, sing-a-long lyrics, and adrenaline pumping choruses prove the hype surrounding this band is more then justified, so lets just hope 2009 sees PSR continue their selfinspired uplifting rock and maintain the Midlands hold on providing THE fun music for our generation. 7/10 When first listening to this album, it’s really quite surreal. Like you’ve just been plunged into a world of ice and snow. Not only because of the lyrics - ‘just looking at the ice won’t make it melt’, ‘something got frozen, got stuck on repeat’. It’s also the ambient electronic sounds that have been fused on to the record, the beautiful vocal harmonies, the haunting falsetto melodies, and the atmosphere that’s created from all these layers. The end result is a sound reminiscent of Icelandic ambient band Sigur Ros. It transports you to a different place and, from my experience, those bands whose music has the ability to do that are incredibly rare. Renfro’s electronic clicks, creaks and taps buried under the surface literally invade your mind, and although I can’t say I’ve tried, I’m sure listening to this album when you’re half-asleep (as you do) would be really, really creepy. Not that the songs feel sinister, but simply that the sounds are so dreamy and ethereal. As the band’s debut album, I’d say it was quite an achievement; a genius blend of electronica, experimental techniques, melodic pop, and an avant-garde style. This is reflected in the band’s formation, consisting of two guys – Tim Branney who contributes the melting vocals, and ‘Atom’ James Draper who adds all the crazy electro noises which provide the rhythm section. When put on top of each other, something very unusual is produced. But it works. Having said all that, though, Mathematics is not the best album if what you like is catchy tunes or songs that you can actually make sense of. Basically, it’s beautiful, but it’s beautiful background music. Whilst ‘Telescope’ is particularly worth a listen, having quite a catchy melody, there aren’t really any other stand-out tracks and the album has the effect of being just a bit samey. But this album is about the mood and the sound more than trying to make good pop songs. Tim and Atom were obviously attempting to experiment and create an atmosphere – to be honest, I don’t think they care whether it’s good enough for the radio. It’s mellow, and sweet, and it’s different – which was exactly their aim. In terms of Mathematics, they’ve balanced the equation. Job done. Making a follow up to their breakout album, ‘Ascendancy’, was never going to be an easy task for Florida death metal act Trivium. Though ‘The Crusade’ had bought them a lot more room for stylistic manoeuvre, it was still generally received as little more than a mediocre thrash album and with this first taste of failure still hanging over them, ‘Shogun’ looked likely to end up another weak record. That may be the reason why it sounds so good. The album begins with the soft chiming of acoustic guitars, launching into the full-scale audio assault of ‘Kirisute Gomen’. A strong opener, the song combines a vicious pounding beat with lightning paced riffs, moving into a slower catchy chorus. The much debated return of Matt Heafy’s death metal roar is also proudly on display, providing a healthy balance between the yelled vocal style of ‘The Crusade’ and its predecessor. Shortly after comes the brilliant ‘Down From The Sky’. True as it may be that a heavy metal band writing a song about nuclear warfare isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel, the song is so catchy that you can almost forgive them. Flowing easily from staccato guitar into melodic choruses and then heavy riffs, the song only seems to fall down on its lyrics. Poetic genius like “they’ll blow it all to bits” makes the band sound immature and almost lazy. Sadly, examples just like it can be found all over the album. However, this only detracts slightly from the strength of the record. Whether it’s in the brutal force of songs like ‘Insurrection’, the triumphant chorus of others such as ‘Of Prometheus And The Crucifix’ or the heavy groove of ‘Throes Of Perdition’, every track has something worth hearing. Furthermore, the recurring theme of battle and references to ancient culture such as “Scylla and Charybdis” add a flavour of the epic to match the grandiose feel of the album. Nowhere is this more evident than in the mighty Shogun which ends the record. A painting of light and dark, it mixes all the best elements of the record together seamlessly and deserves special praise. Blistering solos sit alongside mellow bluesy guitar and soft acoustic passages trade off with metal screams. Clocking in at over eleven minutes, there isn’t a second you’d want to skip and it perfectly concludes the album, with the chorus echoing the haunting acoustic chords from the start. Altogether, Shogun is an album that won’t disappoint; out of eleven tracks it is hard to pick out a weak moment on the whole record. Showi n g t h e band c a n n o t only acknowledge the shortcomings of ‘The C r u s a d e ’, but turn them into something positive; the resulting sound is more diverse than ‘Ascendancy’ and makes Shogun the band’s best effort yet. What remains to be seen now, is whether they’ll be able to continue this success with their next release, or will they need another album of throwaway thrash to warm them up for it. Trivium Shogun By Michael Havis 7/10 9/10 Live Feeder, Southampton Guildhall, (15/11/08) When I told people I was going to spend my Saturday night watching Feeder at the Southampton Guildhall, I was inundated with expressions of envy, and of my damn good luck, however, I could not help being a little reserved before rubbing it in too much. Every time I had seen Feeder previously I had been slightly disappointed, somehow though, I had a feeling things were going to be different. Having only seen Feeder play at Reading and Download Festivals, there were always other acts that overshadowed them. Seeing them on their own made me realise why this tour had sold out. The Guildhall was packed, and for once, I did not feel like the oldest person there. There were young children there with their parents, teenagers, and middle-aged people alike, all who had come to see Feeder play live and I believe this encapsulates the reason for the band’s success. Feeder had succeeded in attracting almost every age of music lover and almost every social stereotype – in short, it is their ability to appeal to all that has earned them a sell out tour and the success they truly deserve. This being said, it is not their abil- ity to manoeuvre between different groups of people that makes them a fantastic live act. The three-piece play with flair, passion and precision – every single track they played was technically and musically outstanding: the vocals were in perfect harmony, and the timing was flawless. The lights and visuals also worked incredibly well as a backdrop to this perfection and succeeded in creating an aesthetically and auditory captivating and pleasing experience, and although musical perfection is certainly not something to criticise, I must admit that they were slightly lacking in performance. There was almost no crowd interaction or even interaction with each other, which on the one hand allowed them to cram songs into their set, but on the other it almost felt like watching a recorded live concert at home, minus the comfy seat and the beer fridge. In the same way the absolute excellence of the sound almost leads you to believe that you were listening to a recording not a live performance. In all honesty though, this is a very minor criticism. One cannot condemn a band for their ability to perform their songs faultlessly and although I was a little put out by the lack of communication, I enjoyed every second of it. There was a good variation of songs, mixing upbeat classics such as ‘Buck Rogers’ and ‘Seven Days in the Sun’ with slower tracks such as ‘High’ and ‘Sonorous’ taken from their new album. You could not have asked for more from the three piece band from Wales. By the end of the night, my negative preconceptions were torn apart. They rounded off the night with a four track encore, including ‘Silent Cry’ and ‘Yesterday went too Soon’, finishing with ‘Just a Day’. This was exactly the sign that the crowd needed to don their dancing shoes. The Guildhall danced their socks off to the feel-good tune, leaving the venue with lost voices and happy insides. As cliché as this may sound, Feeder left the crowd with a warm feeling inside, buzzing with energy and pleasure, myself included and it is this that makes Feeder a fantastic live act. They have an immense ability to allow every audience member to leave their cares behind and dance ! By Hayley Taulbut Mixmag Xmas Party: Justice, Egg (London), 05/12/08 How do you follow the party of the year? Easy, you step things up to another level. Following the storming Mixmag Tour Launch Party thrown in October, a party that saw a roadblock on York Way as Friendly Fires, Hervé, Little Boots and more cracked the Egg wide open, comes an even bigger line-up featuring some of the hottest talents in the UK dance scene and mighty, mighty electro pioneers Justice. As expected the queues were heaving and the situation was not much different inside with hoards of electro lovers congregating in the hallways as perplexed bouncers tried to deflect the tide of neon. A stampede then ensued for the main room in preparation for the headliners but clubbers were instead greeted by a very lacklustre performance from one of the resident DJs, more proof that the night was not altogether particularly well thought through by the organizers. All was forgiven though as Justice took to the stage, crammed right down by the DJ booth and speaker stack the sound was bass-heavy and booming (as a week of ringing ears is testament to) and Xavier and Gaspard’s set did not disappoint. They delivered two hours of the hardest electro and house you will hear, occasionally interspersed with 80s gems to change up the pace. Crowd favourite ‘Phantom Pt. II’ brought the house down while The Proxy’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’ was a real treat for electro connoisseurs with its nerve-tingling, melodic build up and thumping release. With fans dancing on the speakers and the rest of the crowd writhing under the lights from front to back the temperature soared as clothing was shed and shapes were cut. It is Justice’s Grammy-nominated album ‘†’ (Cross) and their live stadium shows that have generated such worldwide acclaim and made them one of the most revered outfits in dance music yet in their DJ sets they still consistently show a fondness for where they started out; sweaty raves in packed-out clubs. Meanwhile London’s own Chase & Status battled for attention in The Basement and proved just why they are being championed by the likes of Zane Lowe, Nihal and Kissy Sell Out at Radio 1 with an eclectic and lively set. They made their name as a Drum & Bass act with three number 1s in the dance chart, but showed glimpses of a new direction on their latest album ‘More Than A Lot’ with a heavy influence from the dubstep scene. This was compounded with the track ‘Eastern Jam’ an excellent bit of sampling coupled with a monstrous bass-line that seemed to go down very well indeed. The main proponents of the exploding dubstep scene were up next however, Caspa & Rusko, and these two potentially have the ability to destroy the 5am shift as I have seen them do in the past. Sadly however the soundsystem did not do them justice (ho ho) and much of the deep bassline went un-amplified. On the whole the night was a good showcase of UK talent flourished with the sheer French mastery Justice bring to the table, however despite it’s size and complexity the Egg did not do enough to meet the sound standard expected of your more discerning dance-head. By Chris Hooton LONDON RECRUITMENT FAIR SAT 31ST JAN 2009, 12PM KENSINGTON TOWN HALL, HORNTON STREET, KENSINGTON, LONDON, W8 7NX FROM THE UK TO THE USA IN ONE EASY STEP! MEET CAMPS FROM ALL OVER THE USA GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED PICK A CAMP AND GET HIRED ON THE SPOT Live New Found Glory, Southampton Guildhall, (26/11/08) Finally came the main event. New found glory themselves. Coming out to ‘All Downhill From Here’, this set the tone for the full performance- and I’m not talking in a good way. The more and more that ‘New Found Glory’ played, the more and more I found myself drifting to the back of the Guildhall and bored, eventually retreating to the overpriced bar and watching from the back. They eventually played a couple of new songs in quick succession, which they claimed were unlike any NFG songs that the crowd may have heard before. Evidentially what followed were two songs, which sounded exactly like every other NFG song I’d heard before. Not helping the already bad situation, the singer- Chad-‘s voice began to crack halfway through the set and poorly trying to cover it up held the microphone out to the crowd at every possible opportunity, meaning that trying to listen to any of the songs properly was impossible. The final song of the set however was the best of the evening. “Hit or miss” was performed well and had most of the crowd, even the parents at the back bouncing up and down, however even this good performance was not enough to save the rest of the set. As the evening drew to a close I think the only people pleased with the evening were the hardcore fans standing crushed against the barrier at the front, and I can’t help but think that most of the people in the room might have thought the £18.50 would have been better spent elsewhere. I think its fair to say that New Found Glory have been around for absolutely ages, at least 10 years anyway, and having just released a greatest hits album, you would expect them to have picked up a few tricks or two on the live circuit. I went to see them at the Guildhall in Southampton on the 26th of November to see how they faired. First up on the bill were Four Year Strong, a relatively unknown band to me but having interviewed the guitarist a few hours previously, I was expecting something pretty good, and to be honest they didn’t disappoint. This was a frantic live show with a lot of running around, jumping and melodic American pop punk. The guildhall seemingly erupted when they played their biggest single and most strangely titled song to date ‘Bada Bing ‘Wit a Pipe.’ One thing I would mention however is the similarity of most songs to each other which made most of the set turn into one big song with breaks every 3 minutes. As they left the stage having gained a few extra fans it was time for the next band of the evening to enter the stage. Once again it was a relatively unknown band in the form of ‘Set Your goals.’ One thing about Set your goals was their use of two vocalists. Disappointingly, one of these singers took it upon himself to stand at the front of the stage looking miserable and remaining static. This pretty much ruined their whole set and apart from this fact in my opinion the songs and the energy from the rest of the band was fantastic. By Dan Sumner This Manhattan, The Joiners, 13/11/08 The Joiners is a strange venue in my opinion. On entering, I was surprised at how small it was. The place looked like, in the best possible way, a cross between a World War II Music Hall and a basement. The small stage in the far room and the bar definitely made it a tight and intimate venue perfect for bands trialling new songs or newer groups to test their tunes to the public. Now-massive names like Coldplay and Radiohead have played that stage before, but this time it was the turn of ‘This Manhattan’ in their first headline gig. Before that though, there were the support acts. The first was called ‘My Scissors, Your Seatbelt’ and hailed all the way from London and whilst they played an interesting and varied enough set, they just didn’t seem capable of capturing the audience. This was mostly due to the fact that a lot of the time they didn’t seem that fussed, they weren’t. The lead singer was mostly forgettable, with screams that didn’t go down to well with the crowd. A brief verse from the drummer- who bared more than a passing resemblance to Jack Black-left more of an impression than any other song in the set! The second support act was ‘Akalons’ in what was the first live set they’d ever played and if this was their first gig I can honestly say I look forward to their future, playing a good mix of original songs and covers. The lead singer had a voice that wasn’t the strongest I’ve heard but suited the songs he was singing to a tee and kept a good commentary going with the audience throughout. The only thing that seemed to be missing from the set was more confidence but with their performance style already up to this standard I can see this changing pretty soon. When the main band hit the stage the atmosphere instantly changed. The crowd clearly knew what they were in for tonight and as someone who had only heard one of This Manhattan’s songs before I can say I was honestly surprised. For a band that was only just performing its first headline slot, Matt, Alex, Chump and Dunk looked like old-hands at this whole performancething, rocking the stage with their cheeky and brilliant punk-pop sound and working the crowd like experts. Following an unusual but well-suited audio snippet of Heath Ledger’s Joker which came after the first song was a whirlwind of pure music, from the upbeat and optimistic ‘Who Needs Lovers When You’ve Got Friends Like These?’ to the slightly slower but equally pleasant on the ear ‘The Day That Changed My Life’, the local-four piece band managed to enthral their audience throughout and make the set seem a lot shorter than it was. The most important thing that stood out in this set is that they were all clearly loving it. From the banter between each other and to the audience “We wanna see you dancing to this song. If you don’t I’ll get Chump to sit on you!” to the regular mischievous comments “We popped Akalons’ cherry!”, and from invit- ing fans up onto the stage for the epic finale “Oh Miss Rena! Look at the Stars” to actually making sure the titular Rena was on the phone for it, they were clearly in their element, which rubbed off brilliantly on everyone in the building. As this reviewer left the venue tired, free copy of “Miss Rena...” in hand and still singing that very same song down the road, I knew I would be hearing from This Manhattan again very soon. By Roger McGough Live Unholy Alliance Tour, Feat. Slayer & Trivium Hammersmith Apollo (London), (30/10/08) As a general rule of thumb, it should be remembered that Slayer fans can be a little crazy. By which I mean, had they put some of them in East Germany with George Michael and told them metal music was in the west, the Berlin Wall wouldn’t have made it past the planning stage. Even the sight of a simple handheld video-camera, hovering over the queue, provokes a huge throng of fans to start chanting for the headlining act. The doors had yet to open but the crowd left no doubt that they weren’t going to sit and watch quietly. As the lights go down, the masses are treated to the wails of a choir belting it out over the sound system; an orchestra backing them up plays suitably ominous music. “I’d recognise that overblown nonsense anywhere” I thought “Trivium must be about to hit the stage.” Nevertheless, ridiculous intros aside, the band have an impressive energy about them, kicking off their set with ‘Kirisute Gomen’. A further element of showmanship is added to the song by an exciting light show with jets of smoke. Still in spite of this and the stellar instrumental performance, frontman Matt Heafy’s vocals seem a little bit off tonight and take away (even if only slightly) from the overall power of the show. Continuing the set is ‘Becoming the Dragon’ and whilst some previous vocal problems persist it gets a suitably enthusiastic reaction from the fans. Soon after, older crowd pleasers ‘A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation’ and ‘Like Light to the Flies’ mix with newer material like ‘Into the Mouth of Hell We March’ and ‘Down from the Sky’ to provide an interesting and var- ied setlist that keeps everyone interested. Unfortunately for the band, the strongest reaction yet is for their cover of Iron Maiden’s self titled hit, originally recorded for Kerrang magazine, which excites a cheer from seemingly everyone in the building. ‘Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr’ then rounds off the set and sees Heafy smashing his custom guitar into pieces and hurling it into the crowd. He only gets back on stage for a new guitar after giving everyone in the front row a chance to sing along. Trivium put on a lively show, but a few small careless hitches (such as one of the microphones being almost inaudible) stopped them from putting on the best performance they could have. Then came the band that everyone had been waiting for, the grandfathers of thrash metal, Slayer. As a grand white curtain emblazoned with logos and pentagrams falls, the band is revealed and ‘Flesh Storm’ begins. The fans are packed in like sardines and the Slayer faithful start several mosh pits spanning the width of the crowd. Even the standing section are on their feet as the set rolls on through classics ‘War Ensemble’ and ‘Chemical Warfare’. This was not to say that the fans were at all biased through more recent numbers like ‘Jihad’ and the thrashing, antagonistic ‘Cult’, as they kept a constant presence felt throughout. There is a great raw element to the show also; no gimmicks are here, just a wall of amps and a screen for Slayer’s logo. Thrash metal like this doesn’t need anything else. Moving onwards, the band thank their fans for spending Halloween with them by way of the epic ‘Seasons in the Abyss’ and sinister ‘Dead Skin Mask’. Though a lot slower than the rest of the set, they take nothing away from the show and set up an eerie mood all their own. Then again, this is only the silence before the storm, as the thunderous ‘Raining Blood’ brings the crowd into a frenzy. Pulled off with all the vigour of the band in their prime, frontman Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King headbang throughout and bring the song to life with the full unedited version. Then, as the notes of ‘South of Heaven’ ring out, the first of the terful ‘Angel of Death’ begin, to finish off the eve It is a fitting end to an often daft, but always vivac evening of extreme metal. The crazed Slayer fan pacified... for now. By Michael Havis Kids in Glass Houses, S.U. Garden Court, 27/10/08 Kids in Glass Houses have taken the British Isles by storm in 2008, with their own brand of tongue and cheek pop punk. Tonight at the Southampton Uni SU sees them nearing towards the end of their second headline tour in support of their debut album, Smart Casual. In support tonight are two very young bands hoping to follow somewhat in the Welsh lads’ footsteps, coming in the form of fellow South Wales’ Save Your Breath and Brighton’s This City. Both these bands tick all the boxes for youthfulness and potential, but just aren’t quite enough to get tonight’s crowd going; but certainly ones to watch for the future. Kids in Glass Houses bounce onto the stage emphatically. They’re no strangers to stages of this size and waste no time in strutting their stuff in front of the wide eyed audience. And it isn’t long before a combination of lead vocalist Aled’s charming stage banter, guitarist Iain’s innovative dancey-guitar moves and the pure energy on stage has wooed tonight’s crowd. There is perhaps the feeling that the band are sticking to a much tested formula, I’m not saying rehearsed but after six months of solid touring, things are bound to start looking a bit casual. Smart Casual - Zing. The set list is to be expected, with the band playing almost every song from their debut album. An interesting twist takes the form of a cover by the then chart topping ‘Sex on fire’ by Kings of Leon, which unfortunately becomes the biggest singalong of the evening. There is also a welcome return to ep relic ‘Telenovela’, which doesn’t receive much of a reaction from the crowd at all. Lack of crowd participation seems to be the theme tonight. It takes (what are usually regarded) fan favourites ‘Saturday’ and ‘Easy Tiger’ to spark up any warmth from this crowd on this cold November evening. The band themselves however, seem unfased and go about their happy-go-lucky antics undetered. They’ve done enough by final song ‘Give Me What I Want’ to receive the crowds approval in the form of a bit of a sing and dance. The Welsh quintet demonstrating that they can win the hearts of any crowd, as I’m sure they’ll continue to do long into 2009 and beyond. By Tom Sheppard Live Rancid, Astoria (London), (16/11/08) ‘No One Likes Us / We Don’t Care’ reads the sticker plastered across the back of Lars Frederiksen’s guitar, as he holds it aloft, facing the crowd at the end of the gig, echoes of feedback still ringing in our ears. Funny that, seeing as during the last ninety or so minutes the exact antithesis of that sentiment seemed to be occurring; every one of the bands 30-song-strong setlist greeted with raucous cheers and explosive movement. Kicking off with ‘Radio’ into ‘Roots Radicals’ meant air was a little hard to come by at the start of the set but that was the least of my concerns. The sheer euphoria that hit the crowd when Tim Armstrong stole up to the microphone and called out the opening words of ‘Radio’ cannot be overestimated and all worries concerning oxygen were discarded. Burning through massive tracks like ’Journey to the End of the East Bay’ and ‘Maxwell Murder’ as if there would be no tomorrow, Rancid are a band who still have the hunger, the passion and the sheer energy to captivate an audience for an hour and a half. Not to mention one of the most impressive back catalogues ever, which doesn‘t half help. Every single one of their six albums, from the heavy self titled 1993 effort, through to 2003’s pop-punk ‘Indestructible’ is a masterpiece, each fitting consummately into a different genre, ranging from straight up skapunk to 1998’s ‘Life Won’t Wait’ - reggae, dancehall and dub. The most heavily featured album however, was 1995’s platinum selling ‘…And Out Come the Wolves’, of which almost a third of the set came from. They took a largely different cut of songs from it though than when they toured in 2006 (in fact, this London date was two years to the day from the Brixton Academy gig); this time airing ‘She’s Automatic’ and ‘The Way I Feel’ amongst others, along with the more usual suspects. Rancid have not released any new material since ‘03, apart from a disc called ‘B-Sides and C-Sides’, which does what it says on the tin; a collection of the bands offcuts from throughout their career. Only one of these made it to the stage today, the skank-inducing ‘I Wanna Riot’. Highlights of the set included the brash ‘Dead Bodies’, ‘It’s Quite Alright’ and ‘Nihilism’, as well as the surprising inclusion of the love song ‘Who Woulda Thought’, a change of pace from the tracks that preceded it. The exhilarating ’Hoover St.’ rounded off the second third of the set. Also, predictably, the Operation Ivy classic ‘Knowledge’ was covered along the way. However, as each song disappeared into the air, the tour, and their three night stint at the Astoria was coming to its conclusion, you could sense the sense of loss amongst the band. Armstrong spoke sorrowfully to the crowd. ‘Not long left now… it’s all gonna be over soon’, before the band broke into perhaps their best song (excluding the singles), ‘Old Friend’. A couple of minutes into the song, the band broke it down to a quiet melody, and Tim rushed backstage to grab an armful of merchandise, which he dispensed into the crowd. Rancid are a band who give things back to the fans; constant messages of thanks were told throughout; and the reasonable ticket prices further proof. All good things had to come to an end though; but what an end. Finishing the set with ‘Ruby Soho’ and then encoring minutes later to play their most well known song, ‘Time Bomb’, the perfect ending to a brilliant set, Rancid proved to be the most professional gritty punk band around. The band profusely promised they would bring out their long awaited (five years) new album, and return to the UK in 2009. Bring it on. By Rik Sharma Paul Gilbert, The Brook, 24/11/08 Having been made privy to the existence of Paul Gilbert back in the summer (my housemate showed me a YouTube video of his exploits on a double-neck), I was intrigued and quite surprised that such a famous guitarist would be gracing the walls of the Brook! Having taught Buckethead, as well as having been in two bands (Racer X and Mr. Big), Gilbert isn’t exactly an anonymous guitarist, and his work in guitar magazines like Total Guitar have elevated him to the level of worldfame; he’s even attributed as one of the fastest guitarists alive – so this was going to be a treat to watch. The show was subtitled ‘Guitar Masterclass’ as well, so we couldn’t really be more enthusiastic! From up high in the ‘balcony’ area of the Brook, we witnessed the interesting support band Hellcyon. Having only been a band for a matter of days before they supported Gilbert, Hellcyon did an amazing job, their heavy metal stylings jarring bizarrely well with their singer’s high yet resonant voice. Though they hadn’t much time, and most people there were basically itching like mad to see Gilbert, the support did really, really well, and I’d be interested to see how they can move on from this to more exposure. But then it came to Gilbert – and my God, he didn’t disappoint. I will admit I wasn’t as familiar as I could have been with his music when I turned up; my housemate at the gig with me was a mad, mad fan though, and so I had been listening avidly to his solo albums (in particular the most recent, this year’s ‘Silence with a Deafening Roar’) and these instrumental pieces were the majority of what the maestro played. Nothing else can be said but to comment that the man is a genius – songs like ‘The Gargoyle’ and the aforementioned album’s title track were four minute long virtuoso performances of guitar, and only guitar. Gilbert wears headphones on-stage to protect his battered hearing, and whilst the lanky, gangly American looks like some kind of audiophile bouncing around his room, his dexterity on the guitar was amazing. His vocal performance wasn’t exactly bad either – songs from his earlier albums, such as ‘Burning Organ’ and ‘Spaceship One’ feature his own voice, and he can match his own skill on the guitar with his surprisingly resonant vocal per formance. Of particular highlight from the two hour set (containing at least two encores - they left once anyway) was his performance of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Red House’ complete with Gilbert playing the guitar, a la Jimi, with his teeth. You know you’re watching someone with amazing talent when they can imitate Hendrix – Gilbert is no exception. His band, composed of his own wife Emi on the keyboards, Craig Martini on bass and Jeff Bowders on drums, were more than able to play alongside him, although the keyboards were pretty much absent in comparison through the amps. Gilbert was unsurprisingly the best thing about the night though – we’d gone to see him, and to witness such genius on the guitar was more than enough for me, despite having seen Jimmy Page, Dave Grohl and Brian May live in the past. Gilbert may not be as stratospherically well-known as any of the rest but he’s up there in terms of talent, and it was an experience worth watching. By Will Roszczyk Live Stereophonics, 02 Arena (London), (20/12/08) Needless to say, as anyone who really knows me will be well aware I was beside myself with excitement at the prospect of seeing the Stereophonics, particularly Kelly Jones, in the flesh. Having begun at Glasgow’s SECC on 2nd December and climaxing with this final performance at the O2 Arena, the tour relived some of the band’s best moments over their ‘Decade In The Sun’. Coinciding with the release of the new album, ‘Decade In The Sun: Best Of Stereophonics’ on 10th November this year, their live performances included hits from all six studio albums, five of which reached no.1 in the UK album charts. I have to admit, it had been a while since I had last been to a huge arena such as the O2 – in fact, it may have been when I saw Westlife at Wembley… hmmm… so I did feel some slight apprehension as to what the view would be like, having got so used to smaller venues. However, I needn’t have worried; not only was the view fantastic, looking directly down onto the stage, but the atmosphere was electric – more electric than any atmosphere you could get in a smaller venue. I have to say, I was not impressed by the support band, The Courteeners, an indie quartet from Manchester whose debut ‘St. Jude’ reached no.4 in the UK album charts; so by the time the Stereophonics finally made it on stage, and I was desperate for a good show! Needless to say, they did not fail to impress. Kicking off with ‘More Life In A Tramp’s Vest’ and ‘Thousand Trees’, both from their debut album ‘Word Gets Around’ (1997), Kelly Jones had the crowd roaring from the second he rolled on stage in his iconic leather jacket – which he kept on throughout the whole performance! His voice has a certain rawness and distinctness that is irrefutably unforgettable, and, in my opinion, irreplaceably unique. Along with his accompanying guitarists, Adam Zindani and Richard Jones, and drummer Javier Weyler, the Stereophonics delivered a two hour-long powerful and energising performance, belting out classics from their UK no.1 album ‘Performance and Cocktails’ (1999), such as ‘Bartender And The Thief’, ‘I Wouldn’t Believe Your Radio’, and ‘I’m Just Looking’, as well as other timeless epics from their 2001 album ‘Just Enough Education To Perform’ and their 2003 album ‘You Gotta Go There To Come Back’, including ‘Handbags and Gladrags’, ‘Mr. Writer’, ‘Have A Nice Day’, and ‘Maybe Tomorrow’. They also covered more recent hits from their UK no.1 album, ‘Language. Sex. Violence. Other?’ (2005), including ‘Devil’, ‘Superman’, and ‘Dakota’ – my all time favourite song which brought an end to an incredible and memorable night. The Stereophonics are said to be returning again in the new year with a fresh new album, which is sure to be just as brilliant as their last six, which have, so far, produced for them 9 million worldwide sales. I can only say – I can’t wait. By Chloe Musson Delays, Lennons, (11/12/08) On the eleventh of December, I made my way to Lennon’s nightclub to see the “Delays” play. It was a freezing cold day but the gig made the journey worthwhile. Already having three studio albums under their belts the Southampton quartet, the “Delays”, who have been often been likened to the Cocteau Twins, belt out infectiously happy indie-pop fare. The band is made up of brothers Greg and Aaron Gilbert (vocals and guitarist, and keyboard player respectively), Colin Fox (on bass), and Rowly (percussion). On first inspection on MySpace the “Delays” seemed a little bland and generic, just another relatively unknown indie band. However, The “Delays” are set apart from other similar bands by two relatively unique assets. Firstly, listening to the Delays is a refreshing break from the stereotypical melancholic indie band as they are bubbly, as they mostly use up tempo rhythm and poppy synth riffs. The lead singer, Greg Gilbert, has a unique pop perfect falsetto that also set the band apart. The Delays burst onto the stage with an infectious energy and a rocking set list. The foursome, fronted by lead singer Greg Gilbert, arrived on stage and immediately started blasting out their set of catchy lyrics and tunes. The audience responded, and many of the audience were obviously seasoned Delays fans as they belted out the tunes with Gilbert. Greg Gilbert surprises audience members new to the band and warbles his way through the songs. They played crowd pleasers such as “Valentine”, where Gilbert charismatically engaged with the audience. With nods back to eighties pop and it had an almost disco feel to it. The music is in general bubbly and happy. Pleasingly throughout the gig they interspersed the happy tunes with some more mellow and melancholy songs such as the song “Long Time Coming”. Nevertheless, the rhythm and tempo constantly remained upbeat and the crowd responded by bouncing along. In my mind, some songs were immediately catchier and distinctly better than others but as these were again interspersed along with the catchier tunes, so they maintained a strong catchy beat throughout and wowed the audience. The seasoned fans added extra enthusiasm and helped to create a great atmosphere. All in all, I enjoyed the Delays gig and was impressed. Although I do not think I will run out and buy their albums, their live performance was very entertaining, and I cannot fault their on-stage enthusiasm and energy. Furthermore, although some of their songs are quite forgettable, they do have some really catchy anthems which stayed with me long after that evening. By Viveka Owen Features Kids in Glass Houses seem to rapidly be- coming Britain’s pop punk favourites. After relentless touring up and down the country, in the past twelve months the band have landed a record deal, have been heavily recommended by various Radio 1 DJs and have played a stint of festivals across the summer. But what lies ahead for the Welsh quintet? Tom Shepherd caught up with guitarist Iain before their show at Southampton SU to find out. TS: You’re approaching the end of the tour now. How’s it going? Iain: It’s been wicked so far, all the shows have been really good. We didn’t know what to expect from this tour, because it’s the second tour we’re doing plugging the record. But the shows have been amazing, like the Astoria was the best show I’ve ever played in my life. Yeah it’s been awesome. TS: I was going to say the size of the venues is obviously increasing, do you still get overwhelmed playing shows of this size, or do you just take it in your stride now? Iain: Well like, it’s cool seeing the venues going up, it’s wicked obviously because it’s going in the right direction. But the Astoria was a bit overwhelming, just because it’s such a prestigious venue. And it’s really famous, so we were a bit overwhelmed by that, but everything else we just vibed pretty much. TS: The supports for this tour are This City and Save Your Breath. Do you get much say in who the supports are, or is it just done by someone else? Iain: Yeah we picked both those bands. Save Your Breath are our friends from back home and we wanted to help them out, get them out of Wales. This City we did because a mate said ‘this is my mates band, you guys should check them out’. TS: You’re touring for a while now, and you’re going to Europe with Zebrahead and Simple Plan. Has Europe been an ambition for a while now? Iain: Yeah, I mean the whole reason I’m doing this is just ‘coz I want to play my guitar and see the world, so yeah, if we get out to Europe then it’s all good. TS: Is it nice to be a supporting band once in a while, and to be able to kick back? Iain: Yeah definitely, I mean I’m a bit jealous of Save Your Breath, ‘coz they’re going on first, coming off stage and getting steaming’. And I remember that and that was a lot of fun, so it’s nice to support bands, especially when you play with bands like (Lost) Prophets, New Found Glory and Paramore. It’s kinda nice. TS: So it’s been a pretty good 12 months for Kids In Glass Houses, the album’s come out, various festivals, a trip to Japan; what would you say has been the highlight? Iain: Up until this tour Japan was definitely a highlight just because that country is like something else, it’s amazing. But highlight of the year for me so far is playing the Astoria, definitely. TS: Coming from South Wales, did you ever feel there was the air of expectation from bands from the area, such Lostprophets, who you mentioned earlier, and Funeral For a Friend, or does that not really bother you at all? Iain: I don’t know really. I mean Wales has a really good music community at the moment, and when you’ve got bands like Prophets and Funeral setting you a level to aim for you’re always gonna push yourself harder just ‘coz its like ‘they live like 10 mins down the road from me, why can’t I be doing that?’ And like their work ethic has always been an inspiration just ‘coz they’ve done nothing but work their tits off to get where they are. TS: ‘Fisticuffs’ is the new single. Some people might say that’s a bit unexpected, some people might say they were expecting ‘Girls’ to be released following the publicity it got from the Callum Best show. What made you pick that one? Iain: Basically right, with the singles, we just want people to get what the band’s about, and that like we have got a heavier side to us, we have got an edge to us, and so we didn’t want to get lumped in with all this overly poppy sort of stuff, so we wanted to be like oh no, hang on, we have got a pair of bollocks, you know what I mean? TS: KIGH aren’t a band who aren’t afraid of a cover now and then. I’ve come across covers by The Movielife, Metallica, and I’ve also heard a rumour there may be a Kings of Leon cover tonight. Any others in the pipeline? Iain: We’re gonna work on a Prince song, but we can’t decide which one yet. Me and Aled (vocals) are huge Prince fans and every day we’re just like ‘we should do this, nah we should do that’ but when we work one out we’ll definitely be covering Prince somewhere down the line. TS: Some ‘Doves Cry’ would be awesome… Iain: Ah, there’s no bass on that tune, see, and Shay (bass) would get left out! TS: I can see you’ve been giving this a lot of thought. Finally, what can we expect from KIGH in the future? Iain: Another record next year, more touring, more jokes, more good times! Features Subs on the Solent Jack White meets Etidorpha, the man co-running Southampton’s first big dubstep night, to find out more about the city scene and the genre in general... As the fine form of Popular Music approaches roughly its seventh decade of existence and its electronic counterpart its fourth, the following question may have crossed your mind: is there anything original left? We’ve had noise, we’ve had silence, we’ve had old school, new wave, new rave, and no wave. We’ve even had “sonic cathedrals”. What next? Cannibalise. Let me take you back to São Paulo, Brazil. It’s 1968. Stay with me, don’t wander. It’s dangerous. A group of artists, under the banner of “Tropicalism”, have begun creating music that mashes together traditional Brazilian music, its African roots, and the new rock and psychedelic sounds coming out of London, New York and California. Based on the modernist ideas of the “Cannibal Manifesto”, they take the parts of the different sounds that they love, devour them, chew them with their own ideas, and then spit them out as something new, exciting and, importantly, unique. Now, let’s come home to Croydon, South London. Don’t wander, it’s dangerous. It’s late 2004 and a new sound is creeping out of the dark alley where UK garage lies dying in a pool of its own champagne vomit with its cousin drum and bass. Based loosely on the echoes of 2-step rhythms, the heavy bass lines of dub/jungle, and sharing the moody atmospherics of grime, dubstep pulled up its hood and stepped out into the drizzly urban night. In short, the sound can be described as being principally instrumental with a focus on sparse beats and heavyweight bass, especially sub-bass frequencies too low to be audible, but more than able to rattle your ribcage coming out of a 50kw sound system. “It’s bass music built for the sound system and there’s a lot of scope for experimentation” explains local dubstep DJ and promoter Etidorpha. And experiment they have. Since the scene’s conception, producers like Skream, Digital Mystikz, and Kode9 have cannibalised from almost every source imaginable, taking us from reggae influenced tunes, through fantastically nauseating bass wonk and wobble, to the techno strains that characterized many of 2008’s best releases. “It’d be fair to say that dubstep is now just a word for ‘music with pummelling bass’ which has always been popular really.” Four years later, and Southampton has finally caught up. Amongst a few dedicated nights, Subset (www.myspace. com/subset1) has emerged as the main contender for a serious dubstep night in the city. Held at city centre venue Soul Cellar on the third Thursday of each month, Subset was established by Etidorpha, fellow DJ/producer Physics and south coast dubstep label Boka Records (www. bokarecords.co.uk) as a way to push the sound and give the struggling Southampton electronic scene a kick up the arse: As for the future, the Subset guys will be continuing their commitment to the diversity of dubstep with acts like Appleblim (curator of the latest instalment in the Dubstep All Stars series – the definitive techno/ dubstep mix) and Boka Record’s own 16-Bit (with a storming release to coincide) lined up for the New Year. With the addition of a visual DJ, the night can only get better: “We don’t view this as an average night out; this is something a little bit special, something “There wasn’t anything that ap- we hope people can get excited pealed to me, nothing edgy or in- about. We have people coming teresting at all.” up to us all the time with mix CD’s “We decided there needed to they’ve done, wanting to get in- be a night a couple of years ago, volved…how many nights do you but at that point it never seemed go to where you see that kind of feasible…now is the time and the thing happening?” reaction so far has been real positive.” This has been reflected by both the quality of the recent acts (scene heavyweights The Others and Bristol’s Komonazmuk), as well as the increasing numbers of dubsteppers showing their support for the fledgling night. If you’re new to dubstep, I’d recommend checking out any of the Dubstep All Stars series, as well as www.dubstepforum.com for suggestions but, most importantly, go down to Subset at the Soul Cellar and hear the evolving sound of 21st Century urban Britain it as it was made to be: in a small, dark room with a subwoofer and 100 other like-minded people. Film Director: Scott Derrickson Starring: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith, John Cleese I would venture a guess that any filmwatching person would regard Keanu Reeves’ acting skills as wooden at best, blank and emotionless at worst. For those people (of which I sometimes count myself a member) ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ is a testament to the casting choice of director Scott Derrickson – he managed to gift Keanu with the role he was born to play, and as such the movie is that much better for its blank lead. The movie does, however, suffer from some weak writing and some incredibly clichéd characters. Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connolly) is called alongside other scientists to survey a mysterious object entering the Earth’s orbit. The object settles in Central Park and a figure enters from within – under interrogation, Klaatu (Reeves) reveals that he is an alien emissary, sent by a group of powerful extra-terrestrial civilisations to warn the human race that our treatment of the planet has warranted action, potentially hostile and apocalyptic. Reeves, often thought of as having the emotional range of a piece of 2 by 4, finds what could be described as a niche role to match his strange, other-worldly visage. As an alien without emotion he conveys a sense of unease and distrust through his vacant expressions and as such this is probably one of his best performances – the fact that he barely seems to blink throughout the film is incredibly unsettling. Jennifer Connolly does what she needs to, attempting but failing to balance the multiplicity of trying to be a strong heroine, sympathetic mother and put-upon widow as well as an ally to an alien. What detracts from her performance is her disadvantage in being in too few scenes without weeping to show off her weirdly huge eyes – we get it, she’s sad, but why drum it home? After a very short amount of time she infuriated me and I actually wished that she was not the main focus of the movie alongside Reeves. Kathy Bates plays a Defence Secretary who is decidedly ambiguous – she cannot seem to decide whether to go with her hunches or follow orders and as such the actress has a pretty nothing role to play. An actress who is best at playing disturbing, angry characters is somewhat nullified here, in a stock politician role and the only thing that makes it a little different is that she’s a woman – this is the kind of role someone like Ed Harris would play. Will Smith’s son, Jaden, is actually pretty damn convincing as the precocious step-kid of Connolly’s character, a damaged child who cannot process death but is faced with it throughout the film’s length. John Hamm and Kyle Chandler play sympathetic and antagonistic sides of the government’s response to Klaatu’s arrival and each do what they need to – their performances don’t give them much more of an option and this is a shame, as they’re ciphers, nothing more than extreme examples of each side of the debate. John Cleese appears for about four minutes as a wise and important scientist – really, really weird for any of us brought up on ‘Fawlty Towers’ and ‘Monty Python’, as Cleese is not known for his serious roles. The problem with the supporting cast is that they are not as interesting nor as bizarrely compelling to watch as Reeves is – this is perhaps deliberate, with him being an alien and all, but at the same time you’d think that the characters would be more fleshed out as to be able to compare with Klaatu – unfortunately this is not the case! Scott Derrickson, through his direction, stakes a claim to be the breakout director of 2008 here; he manages to take a major-budget sci-fi action film with a brain and make it work, a hard task – but Derrickson seems to have ably coped with it, presenting a film that manages to balance both insane action with thoughtful ideas. His concept that alien civilisations want us to stop harming the Earth (or face the consequences) is eerily apt for the current position of global warming and the film does not often find itself drifting into cheesy or strained scenes – but the writing is poor, particularly in regard to the characters, who are crudely sketched caricatures of atypical judgements and opinions. Visually, the movie succeeds beyond expectations. The special effects on show are stupendously good – from the orb that swirls with energy that signals the alien arrival, through to the sentinel sent to guard it (and latterly this object’s amazingg defence mechanism). The film is a sumptuous sight to behold if nothing else. The film is great – its message is firm, its effects work strong and convincing and many of the main roles well-cast, however the characters are pushed to one side, put out of balance by Reeves and Connolly and whilst Reeves is the centre of the film here, Connolly is not strong enough to grip as much as him, as well as the other characters. To poorly quote the movie itself: With Reeves offscreen, the film suffers. With Reeves onscreen, the film survives. Will Roszczyk 4/5 Director: Pierre Morel Starring: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen A blistering, non-stop assault on the senses. Intelligent, compelling and a damn good thrill ride. Who’s the daddy!?... Tzvetan Todorov’s model of narrative equilibrium and the action film go handin-hand. Harmony - disruption - restoration. Simple, and Taken’s no different. Director Pierre Morel’s kicks things off with some good old fashioned scene setting. Subtle, delicate and about as ordinary as a Nicholas Cage adventure film. Oh, and we’re also thrust onto the side of his protagonist in the most ostentatious of fashions: outcast bio-Dad buys his daughter a karaoke set, step dad whips out a dashing white pony. Top that. But as far as negative criticism for Taken goes, I’m spent. A mundane start and structure fail to conceal the fact that Taken is a stunning, highoctane fuelled action film with a freehold on the fast and furious, the tense and intense. Second-best to Bourne, perhaps, but more than a match for those that rest and revel in the action/adventure genre. So here it is, reviewed for you in full… Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) may’ve been cast into the shade by a pony but he’s one hard b*stard: A worn, torn, tried and tested retiree trying to make up for those lost years taxed by trade. A trade that annulled a marriage, divided a three piece family unit and rid Mills of any domestic respect he may‘ve had. His line of work? Protection. Prevention. Expulsion. He was a first-class covert infiltrator for the U.S Government. Highly- trained, highly-skilled, highlydangerous. So I suppose it’s Mr. B*stard to you, then. Neeson’s adroit and wrinkled visage tells us all we need to know from the outset he’s been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. But when a clan of wily, woman trafficking immigrants “unexpectedly” up and off with daddy’s little girl in Paris, the pension gets the boot and we have ourselves a movie and a pretty good one at that. Aa part chase, part rescue, part action; adventure, thrill and redemption movie with verve, vigour and viscera. Archetypal? Sure. Taken throws up nothing new, but it is one of the best of its overcooked kind: sometimes heavy, sometimes cruel. Gritty in places, stylish in others. Clever in areas, conservative in others. It’s a very well made film- fresh from the minds and eyes that bought us the superb French thriller, District 13. Co-penned by Leon helmer Luc Besson, ‘Taken’ draws numerous yet obvious likings to the Bourne franchise; guerrilla styled photography, breakneck editing, fast cars, fast hands, state of the art tech’, superior covert opp’ kicking ass after ass. Bourne didn’t know who or what he was though. Mills does: a pensioned off, peeved off CIA hard nut minus the rust and with plenty of thrust (“I will find you, and I will kill you!”). But for all its heart stopping scraps and tussles, takedowns, beatdowns, fist, gun and knife fights, ‘Taken’ succeeds in mining our emotions and domestic qualms on an up-close and personal level. The empathy injection, although clichéd, works to the film’s advantage. None of us could really relate to Bourne’s mind state or predicament but with this we kind of can. Whether it be as a father, mother, daughter or even tourist.Therefore every grapple, pursuit, punch, shift, block, bullet, bob and weave has added intent and meaning. You’ll be willing Neeson’s Mills on through every scene as he plots and pummels his way to his naive yet adorable daughter’s aid. It’s Neeson who’ll no doubt seize the plaudits then, and why not. The acclaimed thesp’ churns out yet another first-class performance as the determined, ageing action heroin- proving once more that there’s no role he cant take on without rendering both his own and convincing. Neeson’s pin-sharp portrayal of Mills’ means the character’s not just his corny little girl’s rock, he’s ours too. The man’s an exceptional actor. Simple. His ‘Taken’ turn reiterates his kudos as one of the industry’s finest. As for the film itself? In terms of flat-out entertainment? I’ve got to say it’s the best I’ve seen since the Bourne Supremacy. Yes, I said Supremacy. Didn’t go much on Ultimatum but I’ll leave that for another day. Anyway, Taken’s energy, score and ardour are spot-on but it’s in the cutting room where the film really excels. Sharp, swift, seamless: the action set-pieces are cut to near perfection, showing us just enough on occasion to evoke a grimace, gasp or sly snigger. There’s nothing funny about the film as a whole, though. ‘Taken’ is a solid all-round effort. Flawless? No but all an action film junkie could ever really ask for from a steely, high-concept flick. See it. Jack Harding 4/5 Film Film 2008 - The Year In Review 08 of the Best 1. There Will Be Blood 2. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days 3. The Dark Knight 4. No Country for Old Men 5. The Diving Bell & the Butterfly 6. [rec] 7. In Bruges 8. Man on Wire 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days ‘There Will Be Blood’ may’ve been the best fresh film I got round to seeing last year, but it wasn’t my favourite. Almost, but not quite. ‘No Country for Old Men’ earned the Coen bros. a long overdue Oscar gong, ‘The Dark Knight’ lived up to and beyond its hype and prized prodigies P.T Anderson and Daniel Day Lewis fused and forged something special, yes, but it was a hard-hitting Romanian indie that impressed me most. In short? 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days tiptoed in and out of UK cinemas back in January ‘08, lapped up critical acclaim from east to west and clinched top prizes at Cannes, Toronto, L.A and Stockholm. Oh, and it’s also a powerful piece of European cinema against which all friendships and all moviegoers will truly want to measure themselves... “After the fourth month it’s a new offence” affirms underground abortionist Mr. Bebe (Vlad Ivanov) to a timid yet expecting student in a grotty, downtown hotel room. “You’re not done for abortion. They get you for murder!” Words forbidding, strong and spoken from the truth, yes, but 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days - unlike Mike Leigh’s Vera Drake - tells more of the abortion itself, not of the abortionist. Set in the twilight years of Nicolae Ceauşescu’s communist rule, this dark and harrowing inner-city drama is largely told from the stance of college tech’ student Otilia (Anamaria Marinca)- a steadfast young woman who assists her roommate, Gabita (Laura Vailiu), in an illegal, intense and dissident abortion. An abortion whereby circumstance, condition and currency all come heavily into play in a manner in which neither of the women could’ve foreseen, at least not legitimately. The needs and effects of such a procedure prove far more critical than originally thought and are explained with both force and thorough by the obnoxious Bebe: a chauvinistic git who demands that a naive Gabita come to an immediate and life-changing decision- whatever the cost. In an emotionally-taxing yet intelligent tale that unfolds over the course of a single day, 432 is as powerful and as pragmatic as it is poignant and original. Writer/director Christian Mungiu has crafted a strenuous parable of the dark and the downcast, the repressed and intense: opting not to discuss Gabita’s ordeal head-on, but Otilia’s handling of the situation as she struggles to juggle the dire events surrounding the proposed termination with her own woes. The performances across the entire cast are hardly fit to rival the standout turns of Day Lewis and a certain Heath Ledger but they are uniformly fine. Anamaria Marinca’s portrayal of Otilia owns the screen and exemplifies the mood of the movie. Retained yet dynamic, despondent yet durable, Marinca delivers a multilayered performance of a selfless woman in whom feelings of concern, guilt, action and anxiety suffer a series of head-on collisions. A modestly shot tea-time sequence eases her emotional pile-up to the fore : a 7 minute, medium-long stationary shot of a pre-occupied, angst-ridden Otilia framed central to an upbeat dinner table chin wag. The film’s final shot also packs a similar punch in a manner that’ll spark nostalgic apparitions of Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows and Shane Meadow’s This is England. Never thought I’d use those 2 directors in the same sentence but hey. Given the extent and severity of the primary and subordinate themes, it would’ve been plausible for Mungiu to adopt a theatrical tone in order to add further weight to the subject matter(s). Plausible but conformist. Fundamentally shot via unflinching handheld takes that invite comparison to the work of legendary Soviet filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky, 432 features no fancy camerawork, no overemotional act-offs, no pathetic fallacies, no score. Mungiu discards any door that might lead itself to a melodramatic episode and goes for sheer, uncompromising realism and this is what impressed me most about 432. We’re literally dragged into a darkly ominous world and confronted with an objectionable series of situations at which nobody should have dealings with in either fiction or reality but the issues discussed are of the real world, they do happen on a regular basis throughout the cities and slums of Eastern-Europe and beyond. Which is why 432 makes for such essential viewing and an unmissable cinematic discussion. Christian Mungiu exposes the melancholy and seriousness of the narrative hinge for what it is and crafts his picture and directs his cast in a way that, perhaps, mirrors both the anguish of an abortion and the shadow of the then suspended Iron Curtain. I cannot praise 4 Months, 3 weeks and 2 days enough. It’s an outstanding achievement that’s instantly able to hold its own against the likes of Three Colours Red, La Haine, Lilya 4-ever, Irreversible and The Lives of Others: all revered commitments to the modern world of European film. 432 could be a masterpiece. 5/5 08 of the Worst 1. Five Across the Eyes 2. Meet the Spartans 3. The Hottie & the Nottie 4. Disaster Movie 5. Be Kind Rewind 6. He Was a Quiet Man 7. The Happening 8. Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Five Across the Eyes Amidst what can only be described as an eternal torrent of no-budget horror flicks emerged this piece of shhh-ugar. Some of you may have heard of it, others may’ve seen it but I’m guessing most of you fail to fall into either of those camps. Which is good. Very good. For Five Across the Eyes was nothing more and everything less than a rank-amateur attempt at crafting a film worthy of being uttered in the same breath as The Blair Witch Project. Hardly the pinnacle of moviemaking, I know, but still a solid dive into the eccentric and a damn good spinechiller. Scared the hell out of me back in ‘99. Which is the very least I can say for Five Across the Eyes: a pointless and utterly obtuse commitment to cinema. Written, directed and produced by firsttimers Greg Swinson and Ryan Thieson, the “film” tells the typical tale of five thick teenage girls who, after crashing their car into another vehicle parked outside a desolate off-road store (at night, in the middle of nowhere, while lost- hmmm), find themselves caught up in a bizarre and bloody ordeal with the car’s visceral owner whose homicidal antics threaten to cost the girls their fingers and, worse (or better), lives. Sound familiar? ‘Course it does. It’s the blueprint to nigh on every horror film released since 1980 and it’s about time this passé niche was wiped clean off the face of contemporary cinema. It’s not big. It’s not clever. It’s not entertaining nor scary. But- Wait. Five Across the Eyes does lay claim to one horrifying aspect that, I must admit, is rather nightmarish and hard to watch. The performances of the “actresses” are absolutely terrifying. Lacking in experience, conviction and - above all else - realism, the sheer inadequacy of the cast’s “performances” will leave you wondering what’s worse: the acting or the dialogue. I’m tempted to go with the former. Actually, no, the latter. No the former. Oh who cares they both suck. Shot via hand-held digi’ cams (how modern), the guerrilla realism vibes Swinson and Thieson were clearly trying to conjure just don’t come to pass and are as poor and as painful as, say, hurling a handful of shhh-ugar out of your car window in an attempt to sidetrack a psychotic huntswoman. If that’s not idealistic and downright dire then I don’t know what is. Actually I do: this “film”. My mum could’ve summoned something better on her mobile and she doesn’t even know how to work the flaming thing. Catch my drift? You can see what this team of rookies were trying to do. Their idea was all right, I guess but their execution poor. Blair Witch? Man Bites Dog? Cloverfield? [rec]? Behave. Five Across the Eyes is everything those guerrilla greats thankfully weren’t. Worst film of the year? Try worst film ever. 0.1/5 Roll on ‘09 (9 films to keep an eye out for this year) 1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2. The Wrestler 3. The Soloist 4. Watchmen 5. Public Enemies 6. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus 7. Terminator Salvation 8. Nine 9. Inglorious Bastards By Jack Harding Film Film 2009 - The Year Ahead The Annual Look Ahead As the New Year has just passed us by and our New Year’s Eve hangovers have subsided, it is time for us to once again receive a list of this years upcoming films from everyone from ‘Empire’ Magazine to ‘Film Review’. It therefore falls to the Edge and myself to provide a similar list for those students unwilling to fork out the four pounds for a copy of a film magazine or simply those too lazy to make their way to a newsagents. It is, however, my pleasure to regale you with all the films I feel will warrant a trip to the cinema or at the very least a trip to blockbusters. So sit back and prepare yourselves for a short jump into the future, as we glance over Oscar hopefuls and giant robots and possibly find time for the odd comedy and even a little magic. Oscar Fever As we breeze through January and past our exams (sorry to remind all of those who are reading this instead of revising but then again I’m writing this instead of revising so we’re even), we will eventually begin to suffer from a minor condition known as Oscar fever. It is therefore necessary that I inform you which films out in the next few weeks you should see before the proceedings begin, so you at least know what people are talking about. Brangelina Although technically gracing our screens originally in 2008, ‘The Changeling’ is still available at most cinemas and deserves a reference due to the extreme likelihood of Mrs Angelina Jolie receiving at least a nomination for her best portrayal of a character since ‘Girl, Interupted’ in the moving drama directed by Clint Eastwood. Another popular challenger for the coveted awards airing this coming year comes in the guise of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’. The story revolves around Pitt’s character Benjamin Button who ages in reverse. The film is directed by David Fincher who has produced ‘Seven’ and ‘Fight Club’, both with Pitt and although this latest adventure seems to be less violent and more sympathetic, there is no doubt that Fincher will add his unique style to it. This piece of cinema has already got viewers and critics watering at the mouth. This is one not to miss. ‘Cruising’ for a hunky golden man Tom Cruise has managed to sneak a film in just in time to be considered for an Oscar and with Director Bryan ‘Usual Suspects’ Singer at the helm perhaps he could make a real go at it. ‘Valkyrie’ revolves around the story of an assassination attempt on Hitler made by some of his leading Generals. With this period already being showered in Oscar glory due to films such as ‘Schlindler’s List’ perhaps Cruise and fellow co-stars Bill Nighly and Kenneth Branagh could have a real shot, however, they may just prove that it takes something really special to draw awards from such a terrible period in world history. Winslet double teamed by AListers Another drama where mid-twentieth century Germany plays the backdrop and Kate Winslet’s first chance at Oscar gold this year is ‘The Reader’. The plot revolves around a love affair between Winslet’s character, Hanna, and Michael Berg, portrayed by Oscars regular Ralph Fiennes. The characters and their love for one another are put through their paces when Hanna is found to be accused of mass murder when she was a guard at a Jewish concentration camp. This type of story appears to put Fiennes in his comfort zone and so it would be hard to imagine this film not receiving at least one Oscar nomination. Winslet, however, is more likely to obtain a nomination or even a win for the first time in her career with her ‘Titanic’ co-star Leonardo DiCaprio and Oscar winning director Sam ‘American Beauty’ Mendes in ‘Revolutionary Road’. The story is set in 1955 and concerns the lives of newly weds the Wheelers, DiCaprio and Winslet. The couple find their lives are beginning to stagnate in suburbia and they are unable to break free from their nullifying existence. The story’s drama and emotion will come from the couple’s ever strained relationship and their attempts to break free. The foundations seem set for Oscar glory with a professional and competent cast and an experienced director on familiar ground and so this is definitely not one film that is to be missed by ‘any’ student. Gus’s Milky Penn Arguably many people’s favourite to sweep the Oscar’s is Gus Van Sant’s ‘Milk’ which stars Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected into Californian public office. The story is a simple one of a man fighting for fair and equal treatment but no one said Oscar winners had to be complex. With the director of ‘Good Will Hunting’ at the helm and rave reviews already being broadcast about Sean Penn, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for this reporter to claim that the cast and crew should already be writing some acceptance speeches, just in case. And the favourite is… Ron Howard returns once again to the director’s chair with ‘Frost Nixon’, a dramatisation of the interview between David Frost, portrayed by home grown talent Michael Sheen, and Richard Nixon, played by Frank Langella, after the President had become the only man in history to resign from office. This may appear as simply a boring documentary but with such talent both behind and in front of the camera it is sure to be a thrilling success. None of the films which I have mentioned so far however, are my favourite to sweep the awards. That place is reserved for Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. It tells the story of Jamal, a poor street boy from the slums of India who begins to succeed at the countries version of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’, however his success raises questions about how he knows the answers and so during his arrest and interrogation he tells the story of how he has come into the knowledge. The story is a heart warming tale of love and life which I have no doubt will grip the viewer and drag them through every moment of the film as if they were living it themselves. It will undoubtedly be Danny Boyle’s finest film since ‘Trainspotting’ and it is one which I implore you to go and see. Finally before I leave the Oscars to the professionals for yet another year I feel that it would be unfair to not mention my dark horse in ‘Rachel Getting Married’. The film chronicles the events and emotions of an entire family coming together for a wedding and despite the title the concentration is on the sister, Kym, played by Anne Hathaway, who is a recovering drug addict and who causes the films main focal points. Although under most people’s radar, I believe this film would well be worth a watch and might even sneak an Oscar for Miss Hathaway who appears to be setting herself up to follow in the footsteps of many great actresses before her. Probably not going for an Oscar but will be awesome anyway Despite the wide range of films challenging for an Oscar it would be unfair to overlook all the other films out this year which will undoubtedly provide audiences with lots of laughs and some great action, however the list will have to of course be surmised and even rushed in places due to word count and space. First of all we have a few kids films that even grownups like to see sometimes in the form of ‘Monsters vs Aliens’, a third in- stalment of the Ice Age franchise and perhaps one which will ring a few more bells with students, the Roald Dahl creation, ‘The Fantastic Mr. Fox’. Within the comedy sector Hollywood and even some British talents have managed to produce a number of brilliant farces for us to enjoy over the coming months. ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist’, ‘Role Models’ and ‘Sex Drive’ come to us from across the pond and ‘Kick-Ass’ is provided by the team behind ‘Stardust’ but not without help from Nicholas Cage and Christopher ‘McLovin’ Mintz-Plasse. Special mention, however, comes from the creator’s of ‘Gavin and Stacey’ attempting to crack the big screen with ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’ -good luck. If anything there are two many action based films this year and so with the following list I have attempted to pick only the best. J.J. Abrams returns with ‘Star Trek’, Shia Labeouf and Megan Fox are back once more to do battle with giant robots in ‘Transformers 2’, The Bourne team of Damon and Greengrass team up once more for ‘Green Zone’, Daniel Craig loses the tux with ‘Defiance’ and the old ‘Fast and Furious’ team band together for one more outing. Within action we do of course have what is fastly becoming its very own section, comic book based movies. Although X-Men may be disbanded as a project, its most intense character is back with ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’, the title hinting at many other back stories. ‘G.I. Joe’ or action man as we know it is also coming to the big screen. Finally we also have ‘Watchmen’, the highly anticipated and much darker comic based film. To polish it all off we have the category of drama and all round entertainment featuring ‘Che: Part One’, Will Smith’s ‘Seven Pounds’, Dan Brown’s ‘Angels and Demons’, ‘The Damned United’, ‘State of Play’, Guy Richie’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and what looks like a fantastic ‘Public Enemies’ starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. Of course it would be foolish to forget the next instalment of Harry Potter, The Half Blood Prince and a special eye should be kept on the look out for James ‘Titanic’ Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ which may very well blow audiences away. So there it is, your guide to 2009 cinema. No doubt reviews of the films mentioned and many many more will feature in the Edge throughout the year. By Stephen O’Shea Open Mic Night The Talking Heads MONDAY Open Mic Night The Talking Heads MONDAY Open Mic Night The Talking Heads MONDAY 2 26 19 Acusis The Joiners TUESDAY Broadcast 2000 + Kumiss + Pacer + Blind Man’S Vision The Joiners TUESDAY Not True Hamptons The Ataris + Luke Leighfield The Joiners TUESDAY 3 27 20 WEDNESDAY Jenna’s Revenge +Karn8 Lennon’s WEDNESDAY The Buzzcocks + The Lurkers The Brook Templeton Pek + Short Warning Rock / Punk The Joiners WEDNESDAY Pigeon and Panda Talking Heads January/TheGigGuide 4 28 21 Open Mic Night The Hobbit 22 15 29 A Word Like Like: Attack Alternative The Joiners THURSDAY Open Mic The Hobbit State of the Enemy +Nonpology Alternative/Metal The Joiners THURSDAY Open Mic The Hobbit THURSDAY The Hounds of Love Kate Bush Tribute The Brook The Reaktors The Joiners Tired Irie + Friendship + Illness The Hobbit FRIDAY Panama Soul Cellar Stone Cold The Hobbit The SAS Band The Brook FRIDAY Haunted Stereo + Frazer King The Hobbit Fleetwood Bac Tribute Band The Brook 6Inches2small Pop/Punk The Joiners FRIDAY 30 23 16 24 The Only Ones The Brook The Plymouths The Joiners SATURDAY 31 Intraverse + My Endeavour The Hobbit T-Rextasy The Brook Bury Tomorrow Metal The Joiners Open Mic Showcase The Talking Heads SUNDAY 1 25 18 Know Your Enemy Rage Against the Machine Tribute Band Unit The Chase +Farewell City +The Scarlet Desire The Joiners SUNDAY Seth Lakeman The Brook RDB + Sola The Hobbit SATURDAY Kerrang Relentless Tour The Guildhall 17 SUNDAY Green-ish Day + Three Times Over + Never Back Down The Brook SATURDAY